New Year, New Game Sale - What Should You Buy?

RPGNow, in conjunction with some wonderful RPG publishers, is launching the New Year, New Game Sale once more, providing a toooooooooon of corebooks for half off their normal price.

And that's all well and good, but WHAT should you BUY?

Weeeell...I have some experience with some of the games, and I thought I'd call those out to you.

Age Past: The Incian Sphere - I wrote two pieces of short fiction for this fantasy RPG. Very fun if you like having powers to tinker with.
Don't Rest Your Head - One of the first RPGs I ever reviewed, actually.
Epoch - This unique horror RPG is actually being reviewed on my blog tomorrow, so stay tuned for that!
Heaven's Shadow - I obviously think highly of this RPG, naming it one of my Top Six of 2013. Speaking of...the print version of this is now on sale until the end of the month, in honor of being named one of my Top Six!
ICONS - I've ran it once, and I own a lot of books for it, but I've never review IT. Tons of support.
Leverage - A previous Top Six pick, based on one of my favorite TV shows.
Part-Time Gods - Another previous Top Six pick, playing mortals suddenly imbued with Godlike powers.
Savage Suzerain - Another previous Top Six pick. I've contributed to a few Savage Mojo projects because of my high opinion and reviews of their products.
Savage Worlds Deluxe Explorer's Edition - It's my favorite RPG. Ever.
School Daze - A very cool and unique school-based RPG.
Shainter: Legends Arise - The new version of the awesome fantasy setting for Savage Worlds.
Stormrift - Another RPG I reviewed very highly, featuring an alien invasion and the freedom fighters that would stop them.
The Mutant Epoch - Another Top Six pick, featuring some of the craziest, over the top, post-apocalypse fun one can find.

RPGs for sale here that I haven't had hands on experience with, but are on my "to-read" pile include:

Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea - I'm not a big OSR fan, but this looks great.
Bulletproof Blues - I have a fondness for supers, what with being a comic book writer and all.
Dead of Night - Because I also like horror.
Dungeon Crawl Classics - I got to play a short PBEM game of this, and I looooove the 0-level character funnel and magic system. It's on my "review list".
King Arthur Pendragon 5.1 - I've had this for a few years, but not yet ran it. It may well be on the agenda soon, with the Great Pendragon Campaign.
Rapture - I bought their big charity bundle recently.

And there are those that I DON'T yet own, but I have my eye on. Namely...

Adventures Under The Laughing Moon
Against The Darkness - I have almost pulled the trigger on this a dozen times, but the timing is never right.
Atlantis: The Second Age - It looks REALLY cool.
Crimson Exodus - Comes highly recommended from a friend.
Eldritch Ass Kicking
Eternal Contenders
Hoodoo Blues
Little Wizards
Modern Day Gladiators - Being an ex-pro wrestler has me curious about this one.
Noir - Because I like noir.
Numenera
Shattered Moon
Sojourner's Quest
Sorcery & Super Science!

(Of course, I'm open to review copies of these or any other games on the sale. *cough*)

So try a new game, and use my affiliate link so I can get store credit and try a new game of my own, that I will then review on this blog!

Tommy's Take on Leverage Companions 4, 5 and 6

The Leverage RPG by Margaret Weis Productions is one I certainly enjoyed, having reviewed all three of the books in the line. They have also released a series of short Companion PDFs, and I've reviewed the first three in the past. Here's my reviews of 4, 5 and 6, covering Hacking, Tropes and Government Espionage.

DISCLAIMER: All products were provided as comp copies via the DriveThruRPG/RPGNow Featured Reviewer program. Purchases made via Affiliate Links on this site may provide the site administrator with store credit to be used at RPGNow/DriveThruRPG.

 Leverage Companion 4: Hollywood Hacking

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: You can either get the PDF for $2.99, or you can get the compilation of ALL the Companions in a print or PDF compilation at RPGNow. The Hollywood Hacking Companion mostly covers the artistic license that TV and movies tends to take with Hacking (like people blowing up stoplights by hacking into them, or the antiquated idea that you have to keep someone talking on a phone in order to trace them). It does a pretty good job of straddling the line between "Don't do what they do on TV because it's silly" and "we're just giving you information so someone a bit more knowledgeable than you can't just call your bluff". A handful of Hacking related Talents are included, but they aren't limited entirely to Hackers. One Talent, for instance, is Mastermind-based and allows you to exploit people who are working off of Hollywood Hacking assumptions. Another one is nice, arrogant trick a Hacker can pull out at the last second. Why didn't they do it earlier? Duh, they were dumbing it down for the rest of the crew.

WHAT WORKS: The extra Talents are always fun. The writing is nice and breezy without turning into a technical lecture.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: The Companions are all fairly "niche", with this one being especially so.

CONCLUSION: With the Companions now collected into Companion Volume 2, it's worth reading the material as part of the larger compilation if nothing else. As a standalone PDF? Not the first purchase I would recommend...but the Talents alone make a nice addition to a larger product.


Leverage Companion 5: Tropes vs Leverage

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: As above, you can get it as a single PDF or part of the Companion Volume 2. The purpose of this Companion is help out a bit with defining a character by making use of different archetypes. About 15 archetypes are provided, with descriptions and advice on combining each archetype with each of the five Roles, as well as a Talent that fits each Archetype. Maybe your Hitter is a Mama Bear (or Papa Wolf), maybe your Hacker is a Romantic, maybe your Thief is an Artist, maybe your Grifter is a Rebel and maybe your Mastermind is an Architect who has built each of their plans off of the backs of their last ones.

WHAT WORKS: A real simple way to get a starting point for your Leverage characters, using common archetypes as the core concept (combined with the Roles, obviously). Some of them are truly inspired, as are their related Talents (like an Architect getting a bigger Asset die when using a Callback, since they are building to these moments).

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: Some of the combinations don't fit so well, and at times the writing seemed to struggle to define the Archetype/Role relationships without repeating the same ground. Several of the pages carry the footers from the Hollywood Hacking Companion, which presumably got brought over in formatting but never changed.

CONCLUSION: A very useful Companion for those struggling with character creation, or for those who are maybe looking for inspiration for a unique spin for their next character. I also appreciate the fact that there's an attempt at backing these decisions up mechanically, with the inclusion of Talents. A good, well written companion piece to the Leverage rulebooks and supplements.


Leverage Companion 6: KRYPTOS

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: Available in the same formats as above, Companion 6 takes your Leverage game from the Populist Revenge business and into the realm of Espionage (and Counter-Espionage). This includes advice on changing up the roles (Hitter to Wetworks, Thief to Acquisitions, Mastermind to Handler, etc). This is even a recommended mode of play for Single Player games (James Bond or Jason Bourne, anyone?) While these Companions commonly offer new Talents, this one also offers new rules, such as resisting Interrogations, handling "Gadgets", and even an "Enhanced Flashback" mechanic that allows the Agents to throw the trust of each other into question.There's even a few campaign set-ups, including an amusing one set in a retirement home for secret agents. An Instant Mission Generator replaces the Job Generator from the Leverage core rules, so you can generate spy-appropriate missions on the fly.

WHAT WORKS: Well, I love random generators, so that's a win right there. There's lots of good information in a small package to tweak Leverage from its default mode of play and into spy games.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: A few spy-related Talents would have been great. Mentioning the Trust mechanic before the section that actually introduced it was a little counterintuitive, but not a huge problem given the size of the product.

CONCLUSION: If you're going to write a niche product like this, present the information as usefully and as compelling as you can. This book totally hit the mark in that regard, giving you the necessary tools to turn Leverage into a spy game with a small package. I always like extra options for Talents, so the book lacking those is disappointing. That said, it's a well-written, micro supplement that was released with a very clear goal that it accomplishes admirably. A great pick-up if you want to diversify your Leverage campaign options.

Tommy's Take on Leverage Companions 1, 2 & 3

Though the show has ended, the game must go on. Margaret Weis Productions extends their support for Leverage with a new line of microsupplements!

Leverage Companion #1: Too Many Chefs

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: We thought the Leverage RPG line was finished...but Margaret Weis Productions comes firing back with a new set of microsupplements! Leverage, by its concept, is very niche protectiony, with PCs specializing in one of five roles. This supplement, in PDF for $2.99, addresses crews that have more than one of a given role...say two Hackers, two Hitters or two Grifters. Options are provided for the duplicated roles to combine their talents...as well as an option for one to swoop in in top of the other and steal their glory. A set of Talents are provided which are designed to build off of these situations, such as a Crew Member who lets themselves get taken captured to give their crewmate an opening. There's even one built around two Masterminds working together. The next session takes it to the extreme: A team consisting entirely one role, and how to diversify your crew of Grifters, Hitters or even Masterminds. An optional rule provides extra drama, having the fallout be worse if someone screws up in their secondary role. Again, new Talents are provided that play into this. Sample crews are provided, giving inspiration for All-Grifter, All-Hacker, All-Hitter, All-Thief and All-Mastermind crews.

WHAT WORKS: Leverage is a great idea if you have five players and they are all happy focusing on separate roles...if not, then you have Too Many Chefs. The options are great, with mechanical support to back up PCs otherwise stepping on each other's toes, rather than making the game more difficult.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: Not a lot, here. These aren't situations that'll come up in every game, and this is a low cost extra that'll fill in those gaps for you if it happens.

CONCLUSION: Really good first Companion, starting the series off right. The most potentially frustrating aspect of Leverage is what to do if you have a "non-standard" group...good to see that MWP recognizes that and is here to help.

Leverage Companion #2: Leverage Noir

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: Another $2.99 microsupplement, this one walks you back from modern day to the 20s-40s. Changing the time period does have a pretty big effect on your game, for two major reasons: 1) The omnipresent earbuds are no longer present, and 2) the Hacker needs a complete overhaul. New Talents include Hardboiled (you don't scare easily), Enforcer (your reputation now wins you as many fights as your fists do), Wireman (learning to manipulate the phone lines), Sandpapered Fingertips (your sense of touch is infallible), Working Stiff (your Grifter knows how to fit in with the "common" folk), The Name of the Game Isn't Chess - It's Poker (convincing someone you have a bigger advantage than you really do). A list of era specific distinctions are included, as well as a list of terminology. Some reference material is provided, as well as a couple of tips on either playing a Noir episode as a flashback in your ongoing game, or running a full series set in another time.

WHAT WORKS: A very helpful reworking of Talents, especially necessary for the Hacker. Many of the Talents twist the roles thematically, such as the Hitter becoming a much more violent and...final...crew member than what we normally see from Eliot.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: Less useful overall than the first Companion. The GMing section might could have used some beefing up.

CONCLUSION: A good addition to the Companion line, in a very fitting alternate setting. Leverage certainly had some dark moments over the years, so this wouldn't be uncharted territory for the setting, though the darkness was rarely sustained. Highly recomended if you want a darker twist on your Leverage game.

Leverage Companion #3: The Foil

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: This Companion introduces a seventh role, that of The Foil...essentially a PC adversary to the Crew. Unfortunately, they lose me right there with the first rule of being a Foil: You Lose. The rule in the Leverage Writer's Room regarding Jim Sterling, the Leverage crew's biggest foil, is Sterling Never Loses. Anywho, they provide the ten rules of playing a Foil (one of which essentially turns them into an assistant Fixer as well). One page even covers situations where the Foil might be forced to team with the Crew (which happens as well). Foil Talents are provided, like Body Double (meaning you have body doubles on site), I Am The Rogue's Gallery (where you can get in before the Crew's Thief) and Owning the Field, which you can use to prevent a specific Role from being used.  Sterling himself is statted up as a Foil, along with a few other sample ones.

WHAT WORKS: It's a good concept, the recurring nemesis in the Heist game. Providing mechanical support for a Sterling isn't a bad thing, especially as it makes their constant victories slightly less annoying than if it all came at the hands of an NPC.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: First and foremost? The Ur-Example completely violates the first rule of playing a Foil.

CONCLUSION: Sterling never loses. At best, the Leverage crew manages a win-win situation with him. Additionally, playing a Foil would be a bit of a drag, as the Foil is either not going to be in every Job, or it's a series of back and forth PC fights. I certainly applaud Margaret Weis Productions for providing options...I just don't this one really works.

Tommy's Take on Leverage: Hitters, Hackers & Thieves

And now to complete the Leverage trifecta with Hitters, Hackers & Thieves, the second Leverage expansion book.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: A companion book to Grifters & Masterminds, Hitters, Hackers & Thieves expands on the other three roles of a Leverage crew, and the cover indicates this by showing Hardison (Hacker) on the cover with Parker (Thief) and Eliot (Hitter) reflected in his sunglasses. This is a review of the 128 page PDF version, available on RPGNow for $12.99. Full color, all the bells and whistles, that sort of thing...the aesthetics are up to the usual Margaret Weis Productions standards. The book leads off with an amusing, in character note from Wil Wheaton as "Cha0s", not unlike Mark Sheppard's note as Sterling in Grifters & Masterminds.

This book is organized a lot like the last, with an extra role section and minus a GM section. Hackers are up first, and while I never really got a particular "voice" from the Grifters & Masterminds sections, the Hacker 101 definitely has a "Hardison" vibe to it. We get a history of hacking (all the way back to 1822) and notable milestones in Hacking, like Operation Sundevil in the 90s and the rise of Anonymous. New Hacker Talents include The Cake is a Lie (giving you a bonus die for creating fake media), Do, or Do Not, There Is No Try (which lets you frontload an attempt at success, but run a greater risk of Complications) and I Read About That Once on the Internet (allowing you to use your Hacker die for something not Hacker related). Uses for Hacker with each Attribute is included, like Agility (executing something at a precise time) and even Strength (Hacking when restrained). A dozen Hackers are included, from a street thug to an ex-nun to an MMA fighter and a beefcake guy that steals people's identities to pay for his exploits! The Master Class section delves into using Hacker in gameplay, introducing things like Exploits (a wager with the Fixer - if you win, you get a free Asset, if you lose, they hit you with a Complication). Other mechanics are included, like Covering Your Tracks. The book even describes how Hackers can use things like car tires treads and Legos! Social Engineering details how Hacker can be used alongside Grifter (or in place of it, in an emergency).

The Hitter section is all about beating the crap out of people...not killing them, mind you...but beating them to a pulp. This turns into an awesome code of honor/set of rules about not killing, not using guns, divide and conquer, etc. Just a really enjoyable piece of writing.  Again, we get a sidebar on using Hacker with the various Attributes, like Intelligence for a Martial Arts Instructor, Alertness to find a weak spot and Willpower to keep going when you want to collapse. New Hitter Talents include Fighting Styles (Barroom Brawling, Fencing, and even Pro Wrestling, as well as a catch-all "I'm really badass" style), Weapon Training (Swinging Weapons, Thrusting Weapons, Frightening Weapon, etc), and other Talents like Ke-mo Sah-bee (in which your awesomeness attracts a follower), Location, Location, Location (scoring a free Asset from your surroundings), or Walking Arsenal (allowing you to pick up Weapon Training talents out of the blue for the remainder of the Job). A Dozen Hitters includes the obvious (cops, commandos, pro wrestlers and MMA fighters) as well as the less obvious (abuse survivors and wrongly incarcerated accountants). The Master Class opens up new possibilities, like using guns (complete with new Talents, including crowd control stuff), a system for winning fights without ever throwing a punch, and even mass combat (or Mob Fights).

Last, we get the Thief section. This follows the pattern of the other sections, with a look at the psychology of a thief before touching on some famous thieves. New Talents include Consolation Prize (in which you lose a fight but swipe something from the guy that beat you), Losing a Tail (ditching the folks trying to follow you) and Takes One To Know One (helps you spot another Thief). We also get a sidebar for using Attributes with Thief, like Strength (forcing open locks), Agility (...most things you'll be doing) and Willpower (working your way through a meticulous security system without slipping up). A Dozen Thieves includes a car thief, an ex secret agent, a magician's assistant and a forensics expert. The Master Class starts off covering thieves' tools, like telescopes, hand drills, lock picks and even beef jerky (for guard dogs, duh). Another section covers designing security systems for locations, hitting a checklist of common features before encouraging the use of Distinctions to give each one personality. Four sample locations are included in detail, from a survivalist compound to The Steranko from the Leverage episode The Inside Job. The Thief section ends with a list of cool things to steal, with both the "Why" and the "Why Not", from Nazi paintings to nuclear codes.

Finally, the book ends with The Tech Job, which is actually three hi-tech job outlines that can easily be used in play (since Leverage Jobs should probably never be anything more than an outline anyway).

WHAT WORKS: The Hitter section may be my favorite section written for the Leverage RPG, possibly my favorite section ever appearing in an MWP book and just a great read. Your mileage may vary, but I loved it. I also love the addition of the ready made compounds and the security system mechanics, a very useful set of additions to the game mechanics.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: I wasn't feeling the whole "psychology of a thief" thing, which is weird, because Parker's not my least favorite Leverage Crew member (that would be Sophie...and I still like her). In fact, from a Role standpoint Hacker and Thief would probably be most least favorite of the five.

CONCLUSION: I was reaching for complaints. I applaud the work the MWP crew has done with Leverage, starting with a strong core book and then two supplemental books that are not essential but dramatically expand the five roles in the game. As with Grifters & Masterminds, if you like the Leverage RPG, there is no real reason not to buy the supplemental books, at least in PDF. A great RPG treatment for one of my favorite shows.

Tommy's Take on Leverage: Grifters & Masterminds

I thought pretty highly of Leverage, as you may recall. After a bit of a wait, now we get the completion of the Leverage line: Grifters & Masterminds and Hitters, Hackers & Thieves. First up...Grifters & Masterminds.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: The PDF is $12.99 and a lean 105 pages, full color, photos, all that. What the book essentially IS is a How-To for Grifters and Masterminds (as well as some more options and advice for Fixers, or GMs). For the fans, the book features a Foreword by Marak Sheppard (in character as Jim Sterling).

Up first is Grifting 101, beginning with the three things a con can be based on (Greed, Social Compliance and Distraction & Misdirection), with explanations of each before diving into the psychology of the Grifter. The book then dives into grifting around the world (like how Russia doesn't have a ton of money, and a LOT of it runs through the Russian Mafia). A slew of new Grifter talents is introduced as well, like Cast of Thousands (which lets you draw a crowd that you use as a prop in your con), Faux Expert (essentially BSing people into thinking you know more than you do) and Old Friend (leading a mark into thinking they used to know you). There is even a sidebar on how the Attributes each apply to a given type of action for a Grifter (like Strength for Intimidation).

A dozen Grifters are also provided, for use as characters or NPCs. They include a retired legend, a fraudulent psychic and a "ghost" (an "everyman" whose main feature is just how unremarkable he is - he's even named John Smith. How utterly forgettable).

From there, the book delves deeper into the operations of a Grifter, from setting up short scams to laying out long cons to a step by step guide for seducing a Mark and how it mechanically benefits you to succeed. Finally, a list of identities are provided, each broken down into Who You Are, What You Can Do, What You Need and How You Play It, like playing a cop in order to get stop and search a Mark, or the important keys to passing oneself off as Royalty.

From there, the book moves into Masterminds...the brains behind the operations.

This section gives a broad overview of the Mastermind's job (which is pretty much the planning, the leading and the accounting for everything that will go on) followed by an examination of Masterminds throughout history, from Shaka Zulu to Alexander the Great to Harriet Tubman. New Talents include Brainstorm (which allows anyone you're talking to to add anyone else you're talking to's Intelligence die), Chess Master (allowing you to turn a Complication into an Asset) and Think On Your Feet (a desperation move when crap completely falls apart). As with Grifting, there is a sidebar on how each Attribute applies to the Mastermind die, like using Awareness to pick up a concealed weakness, or Willpower to assert control over a chaotic situation.

A dozen Masterminds are included, from a coach (complete with whistle) to a general, to a reporter.

Next up, the book tackles the actual planning of a Job...including advice on how to utilize your team members to their fullest abilities, how to screw up the Mark's plans and - yes - what to do when everything goes south. This section ends with a cheat sheet on scribbling a plan together quickly and even recommends an option for allowing the Mastermind to witness (and help prepare elements of) the rough sketch of the Job (with the understanding that there will almost always be curve balls). On one hand, this is sure to not sit well with "traditional" players, but on the other, it does make sense in context of the character's role.

Lastly, we get the Fixer's section. This starts off with a bunch of GM advice, some of which you have read before, and some of which is Leverage specific. For instance, it tackles Complications, with a few suggestions to keep in mind (like, say, the Client winds up dead in the middle of the Job, the Mark is connected to MUCH more powerful people than expected or your Hitter has developed a death wish and is recklessly endangering the Job). Additionally, a handful of ready made Plot Twists are provided, like the Mark is actually a mole for the CIA or FBI, or the Client is actually planning to wipe out the Crew as soon as they are done with The Mark.

The chapter then goes into approaching Leverage with a "season" structure (nothing new in RPGs, and pretty common when the source material is a TV show), such as advice on linking elements of the jobs in order to build to a satisfying finale (like taking down a Mark who has been a thorn in the Crew's side throughout the season).

A sidebar covers new roles (like Reporter and Wheelman) while a few paragraphs are devoted to using the Leverage system in completely different settings (including a breakdown of the roles of Robin Hood and his Merry Men and how to tweak the Hacker role in a fantasy setting). Finally, advice is given for playing as ACTUAL bad guys, as well as playing entirely without a Fixer.

WHAT WORKS: The sheer amount of detail on the mindset and process of the Mastermind (especially) and the Grifter is very helpful. The "Dozen Grifters" and "Dozen Masterminds" is also useful for giving some ideas on how to make characters of those roles who aren't just Sophie or Nate renamed. The alternate settings sections was also fun, and basically any ideas on how to NOT just be playing the Leverage crew renamed is always welcome.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK: A lot of the GM advice is nothing special that you haven't seen before. I'm also not quite convinced that the Masterminding the Rules section successfully provides that mechanical bridge for Masterminds that some folks feel was missing compared to Hackers, Hitters, Grifters and Thieves.

CONCLUSION: An unessential but incredibly useful book for Leverage. It doesn't dramatically change anything from the core rules, but it does provide some very useful tidbits on Grifters and Masterminds, both as PCs and NPCs. Basically, if you really like the Leverage game and either want some more options or are struggling with the Roles at all, it's well worth it. And don't complain about the extra books: There was a time when each role (including Fixer) would have been padded out into its own book.

We Have A Winner!

That didn't take long!

Devin Curtis correctly guessed that the most read RPG review on this blog is...Smallville's Cortex Plus sister game (and one of my Top Six picks): Leverage!

Congratulations Curtis!

Tommy's Top Six and Birthday Blog Giveaway

I reviewed a LOT of games since I opened my blog last year, and I wanted to take a special moment to recognize the six that captured my attention the most, provided that they fit under the following criteria: 1) I had to have reviewed the title on my blog from January 1st through December 17th. Unlike some year end awards, I'm not concerned with actual release dates, but when the books actually made it into my hands. 2) Only one book per company was allowed. This rule came in because one draft of the list had four books by two companies. The Top Six itself is a purely arbitrary number...I like the number six, nothing more.

There were a lot of products that I really enjoyed, that didn't get tagged for a certain reason, and I plan on doing a follow-up with a couple of those, explaining why I didn't choose certain titles.

Without further ado, in alphabetical order:

BASH ULTIMATE EDITION (Basic Action Games)

Why You Should Buy It: I love superheroes. It's part of the reason I write comics...(even though I have yet to do a traditional superhero book, unfortunately). Marvel SAGA is my favorite RPG of all time, flawed though it is...I've read a lot of superhero games since then, but none have captured my imagination in the same way as BASH, and I am hard pressed to think of a superhero game that does as much, with as little work. It has an "equalizer" for characters of multiple power levels on the same team, it provides plenty of options for making characters without the same level of bean counting that you get with Mutants and Masterminds or Champions, and it scales up from gritty to cosmic, all in the main rulebook. It currently holds the distinction of being the only game that I have ever purchased twice, once in PDF format and once in softcover. In fact, if the new version being released through Cubicle 7 is full color, I may go so far as to buy it one more time (and donate my black and white copy to someone). Chris Rutkowsky has made what is, to my mind, one of the best RPGs I have ever read, as it hits pretty much all of my sweet spots without a ton of work. For me, certain other major superhero RPGs are either underwritten, or incredibly overdone to the point of being Too Much Work...but BASH never has that problem. With Vigilance Press and Daring Entertainment coming aboard as third party licensees, I hope that BASH gains the following that I feel it truly deserves.

Buy the PDF at RPGnow, and look for the print version in 2011 from Cubicle 7.

HIGH VALOR (Silverlion Studios/Better Mousetrap Games)

Why You Should Buy It: I love fantasy gaming, but I can't make myself do Dungeons & Dragons anymore. I want epic, high fantasy, not dungeon crawls...and, as you may have guessed, I don't want it to be Too Much Work. High Valor is pretty much rules light, but never goes too far away from being a game. Just because you have three stats (kinda like you do in BASH, actually), and monsters only have one, doesn't mean it's not still a game. I love the mechanic of borrowing back and forth between your pools when you REALLY need to accomplish something, and I really like the fairly freeform nature of Magic and Miracles. I think one thing I love the most is that your experience comes from your Triumphs and Dooms...even epic failures help to define you, as you and your legend grows over time. Be Epic. High Valor wants you to. Don't kill a monster and take its stuff, risk life and limb to destroy an elder troll terrorizing the region, and take its head as a warning to all other foul creatures...and if it happens to rip your eye out? Then your legend is even more epic. The setting is dark, but not TOO dark...providing a growing storm of evil, sure, but you're expected to fight it *and win*. To boot, Tim Kirk seems dead set on making books that stand alone, so if you buy this? All you need is this...plus, the system is incredibly easy to convert to, since the monsters are basically one stat plus flavor text. Now, this isn't a highly tactical combat game...but it is a pretty damn awesome fantasy epic.

Buy the PDF at RPGnow, or the print version at Lulu.

INTERFACE ZERO (Gun Metal Games)

Why You Should Buy It: This is precisely what Savage Worlds settings could (and, IMHO, should) be. I'm not saying that every Savage Setting needs to ape Interface Zero, I'm saying that publishers shouldn't be afraid to make their game. Gun Metal Games does not hesitate to provide you with new Hacking rules, Cyberspace, cybernetics and the single coolest equipment chapter I have read since, well, Pinnacle released a whole book for Deadlands (both the Interface Zero equipment chapter and the Deadlands book - Smith & Robards - are written as catalogs). I'm also a sucker for random tables, as anyone that reads my reviews should know, and so not only does Gun Metal Games provide an adventure generator, but they also provide a random Bounty generator! The crazy part is that as comprehensive as this book is (at 300 pages), there is still a TON of room for development! Psychics will be coming this year, and publisher David Jarvis has been hyping it pretty heavily over on the Savage Worlds forums at www.peginc.com, if you wanna check that out. Also, Gun Metal Games and Silver Gryphon Games have announced that we will be getting an "Interface Zero" version of the latter's Wellstone City...and given the people involved, combined with the Savage Worlds system, I can't feature it not being twelve shades of awesome. In the meantime, get IZ and get acquainted with a world where life is cheap, especially if you were born in a vat (or built from the ground up).

Buy the PDF at RPGNow.

Leverage (Margaret Weis Productions)

Why You Should Buy It: Oh, man, what a year these guys had, and all because of two releases: Smallville and Leverage. Smallville was a GREAT game...but I'm not a fan of the show. Leverage was a GREAT game, and I AM a fan of the show. However, making a faithful adaptation of the show wouldn't have been enough to make the list. And luckily, they did more than that: Sure, you can run the Leverage crew, no problem...and you can build your own crew from the ground up. However, the book walks you through basically every step necessary to set up your world and run your game, including (YES!) random generators for making Jobs for your Crew to take! When I read the quickstart, I was excited, but scared to death: I mean, seriously, how in the heck do you run LEVERAGE as an RPG? For me, it seemed awfully daunting...and then came one of the best GMing chapters I have ever read. At that point, I was mostly just sad not to have the opportunity to run it right now. Great concepts get mangled in translation all the time, but Margaret Weis Productions took this opportunity and knocked it out of the park. Just an amazingly well-written rulebook and a phenomenal translation of the TV show.

Buy the PDF at RPGnow, or order the hardcopy from Margaret Weis Productions.

War of the Dead Chapter One (Daring Entertainment)

Why You Should Buy It: One of the most ambitious projects ever released for Savage Worlds, War of the Dead is a four part, epic campaign beginning on a simple cruise ship and changing the world forever. This is the zombie apocalypse come to Savage Worlds in a way that Zombie Run could never have been. Chapter One is the first thirteen weeks of the campaign, taking your hapless, Novice characters from their life-changing cruise, back to land, including a conflict with a ruthless biker gang and relative safety in one of the remaining refuges left. The world is familiar and filled with inside references to famous zombie creators like George Romero and Robert Kirkman, but most importantly, Lee Szczepanik understands the strengths of the system he is writing for, filling adventures with massive battles against zombie hordes that would have GMs pulling their hair out under many systems. Also, I'm a big fan of how many of the episodes feature random encounter charts, using card draws, specialized for the location and situation. Plus, of the books on this list, the support for War of the Dead absolutely blows the other picks away, with freebie adventures that fill the gap between Chapter One and Chapter Two, as well as one of the coolest sets of paper miniatures I have seen in The Paper Dead, including a printable RV with "anti zombie" attachments! If you like The Walking Dead or Night of the Living Dead, and wanna play something like it, this is it, right here. Chapter Two is in the home stretch now, and has even eclipsed Chapter One in some ways, though it has never failed to live up to the promise of Chapter One, even at its low points, in my opinion. I admit, when this project was first announced, I threw up my shoulders with a resounding "eh"...but going on nearly twenty six installments now (not even counting the free adventures), and Daring Entertainment has produced a Savage Worlds campaign with some amazing promise, as well as a scope rarely seen in this genre (again, The Walking Dead is the closest thing that comes to mind).

Buy the PDF at RPGnow, or order the print version from Cubicle 7.

Wu Xing: The Ninja Crusade (Third Eye Games)

Why You Should Buy It: I like superheroes, high fantasy, zombies, Leverage...I'm not BIG into cyberpunk, but I'll try anything in Savage Worlds. I kinda hate most anime, and I'm just not into oriental mysticism/mythology/history, etc. So why is Wu Xing here? Because I am not into those things and this book just stood out as one of the coolest books I have read in recent memory, perhaps ever. I had no real experience with Third Eye Games before this year, though I did get Apocalypse Prevention Inc. in the Haiti Bundle, but it kind of got lost in the shuffle when I was trying to download and read EVERYTHING. After Eloy Lasanta approached me about the game, I gave it an honest go, and really loved what I read there...so I checked out Wu Xing on the strength of API (which is right up my comfort zone, genre-wise)...what I found was a very cool, over the top, albeit westernized (to the annoyance of some, not me) martial arts fantasy epic.  The production is fairly light in this day and age, but that just means the book is filled with content. Plot hooks are all over the thing, and Third Eye Games doesn't truck in metaplots, meaning that if you want to expand something there and run with it, or answering one of the burning questions, there is no wrong answer and you are not likely to find something completely invalidated by a future book. All of the clans just come alive, and what could easily have been a rigid, "not much else to do" setting is instead loaded with intrigue and plot hooks. Any RPG that can take a genre I pretty much can't stand and make me go "oh, crap, I GOTTA play" is a big winner in my book. Wu Xing is just full of "cool".

Buy the PDF at RPGnow (where Wu Xing is also listed as Print on Demand option for those who have it available) or pick up the print version at Beautiful Brains Books & Games.

And now, the cool part:

These six publishers have pledged to give you, dear readers, a chance to win PDFs of these games, as part of the "Thank you" for reading the blog and the reviews of their fine games. Here are the prizes:

- Three (3) PDF copies of BASH Ultimate Edition (awarded separately) -OR- a Basic Action Games PDF of your choice, if you already own BASH.
- A PDF copy of High Valor.
- A PDF copy of Interface Zero plus a poster-sized PDF of the cover.
- Three (3) PDF copies of the Leverage RPG.
- A complete War of the Dead Chapter One PDF bundle, including the entire War of the Dead Chapter One, The Paper Dead and all of the Freebies released to date, everything you need (except for the Savage Worlds rules) in order to jump into Chapter Two.
- A PDF copy of Wu Xing: The Ninja Crusade.

To enter, simply send me an e-mail to tommyb(a)sstelco(dot)com, with the subject (minus the quotes) "Happy Birthday Blog", listing your order of preference for the prize. Once I have closed entries by 11:59 PM Central Time on January 15th, I will use a randomizer to determine the winners...#1 gets their first choice, #2 gets their first available choice (their first choice if it wasn't taken, second if it was, and so on). If you are wanting a BASH PDF that isn't Ultimate Edition, specify it in the e-mail.

Thank you all so much for reading this blog, thanks to Michael Wolf at Stargazer's World, whose shoutout helped spike my blog traffic immensely over the summer, thank you to the Top Six publishers for the prize support for this giveaway, thank you to every publisher who gave me product to review over this last year, and thank you to Sean Patrick Fannon of RPGnow for allowing me in the affiliate program, which literally allowed me to make it to and from work when I started a new job last summer and otherwise had *nothing* to put in my gas tank.

Next up on the slate: A few products that were exceptional, but why I didn't pick them for the Top Six, reviews of the Squawk RPG as well as Dust Devils Revenged, an overall look back on 2010, some WWE thoughts for old times sake, probably a full on review of Smackdown vs Raw, the Legendary installment of Savage Worlds Characters Are All The Same, the new Supers version of it, and a look at RPGnow's new Print on Demand program (as I was apparently one of the last ones in the pilot program to get my book...despite ordering two hours after it launched).

Thank you, have a Happy New Year, and come back soon!

Tommy

Tommy's Take on Leverage Roleplaying Game

I've been waiting for this one.

I absolutely love the TV show Leverage, and the Leverage RPG Quickstart is the only Quickstart I have ever spent money on. The problem? It sure looked incredibly daunting to run when I was reading it. Now, the Leverage RPG is finally released.


For those who aren't aware, Leverage is a TV show on TNT that is, essentially, a "Robin Hood meets Mission Impossible" thing. A crew of five criminals (The Mastermind, Grifter, Hacker, Hitter and Thief, wonderfully played by Timothy Hutton, Gina Bellman, Aldis Hodge, Christian Kane and Beth Riesgraf, respectively) help the poor and downtrodden who have been screwed by The Man, and help them get revenge/restitution.

Nate Ford (Hutton) was an insurance investigator who butted heads with the other four that now make up his crew, who leaves his job when his company refuses to pay for medical treatments for his son, leading to his death. In the pilot, he assembles the crew when he's hired for a big revenge scheme, and it all balloons up from there.

Now on it's third season (and confirmed for a fourth), the crew have hit some interesting twists and turns along the way, but the show keeps to a basic formula: A Client hires The Crew to get revenge on The Mark, complications and hilarity ensue...I say hilarity, in that the show is more of a modern day A-Team than anything else, with the Rule of Cool being the order of the day.

Honestly, it sounds like it should be a lovely transfer to a roleplaying game, right?

Unlike the initial release of Smallville, Margaret Weis Productions has bookmarks in place right away, as well as searchability and copy and paste. However, there is no index, for those of you who buy the physical book.

The book is full color and filled with photos from the first two and a half seasons, making the book appear much less dated than a lot of licensed RPGs tend to (MWP pulled off this same feat with Smallville).

FOREWORD

We get a one page foreword by the show's co-creator (and comic/roleplaying geek John Rogers) about the inspiration for the show. I do agree with the concept, and find it incredibly cathartic...even though I'm not always sold on the politics of the show...but it's far from being as heavy handed as it could be.

THE PITCH

This is essentially the introduction chapter, telling you about the characters in the show (mentioned above) and a bit about the tone of the world, which is Very Serious with a side of Quirky. It also makes it clear that your starting characters are not starting characters: That is, the PCs are not rookies...they are at least Very Good at what they do.

THE BRIEFING

Now we start getting into mechanics and game terminology.

The Party is a Crew, the GM is a Fixer, etc. Leverage skews a little closer to traditional RPGs than Smallville did, not dispensing with the Attributes like the latter did. Every Crewmember has Agility, Alertness, Intelligence, Strength, Vitality and Willpower, rated from d4 to d12. Every Crewmember also has a role (Mastermind, Hitter, Grifter, Hacker and Thief) rated from d4 to d10. You get Specialities that are tacked onto the Roles, Distinctions that help flesh out your Crewmember more, Talents that distinguish one Grifter/Hacker/Mastermind/etc from the next, as well as Assets and Complications (extra bonuses or pitfalls that the Crewmembers may call on - or have to deal with).

As for the system itself, you always roll at least two dice: The appropriate Attribute and the appropriate Role...and yeah, sometimes you have to figure what "appropriate" means. You total the two higher dice (sometimes things such as Assets allow you to roll more dice) and that's your result. The Fixer than rolls the appropriate opposition dice, and if he rolls higher, than he Raises The Stakes. The Player gets to try to regain control of the situation by outrolling the Fixer...at any point, one side can back down and let the side in control of the situation decide how it is resolved. If you outroll the Fixer by 5 or more, you get an Extraordinary Success and have thoroughly trounced the opposition.

If a Player rolls a 1, the Fixer can toss in a Complication. If the Fixer rolls a 1, the Player gets an Opportunity...same thing, different perspectives.

Finally, every Crewmember gets Plot Points that they can then use to tweak the action.

THE CREW

Also known as Character Creation.

They recommend creating characters together and running through a short Recruitment mission...and while you CAN play this with more (or less) than 5 players, that's obviously the sweet spot so that you hit the coverage on all of the Roles.

One thing to note about the die scale: d12 is character defining, off the charts kind of stuff. d10 and d8 is incredibly exceptional. d6 is stuff that you have, but isn't a huge part of your character and d4 is "interestingly bad".

Every Player picks their Primary Role (rated at d10) and Secondary Role (rated at d8). While some people might share the same Secondary, it's PROBABLY a good idea to spread out the Primary Roles...although this can lead to an interesting deficiency for gameplay.

Each role is given a paragraph overview, as well as a full description of just what they do, and important Attributes for each Role. Additionally, each Role gets a set of character "types" one might get by combining the various Primary Role+Secondary Role combinations, complete with suggested Talents for each combo.

Right now, you only assign the Primary and Secondary Roles...from there, you add two Specialties, which add a d6 to your Role+Attribute rolls when relevant. Some examples include Driving (Hacker), Sports Trivia (Mastermind), Explosives (Thief). There is no set list for Specialities...you get to define them, as well as their associated roles.

For Attributes, you get two dice arrays to choose from to spread out among your Attributes, one being more focused (giving you an extra d10, but also an extra d6) while the other is a little more spread out.

Distinctions are kind of like Aspects from Fate-style games, in that they define parts of your character, but can provide bonuses or penalties, depending on the situation. The kicker is that you get a Plot Point for invoking a Distinction in a negative manner...AND you get a bonus die: a d4, which is more likely to cause a Complication.

Talents are unique abilities that are all triggered in different ways: Some are meant to be used when the Fixer provides an Opportunity (by rolling a 1) and some kick in when specific actions are used. The book is annoyingly vague on Talents (stating only that you get "one or two" and that "at least half" must be keyed to your Primary Role).

Each Role gets Talents, as well as a list of Open Talents. I can only imagine that the upcoming Splatbooks (only two, last time I looked, not five - some Roles are sharing books, obviously) will add more.

Grifters get Talents allowing them to spot lies a mile away, or allowing them to be Masters of Disguise.

Hackers can get bonuses if they are squaring off specifically against another person instead of an automated system, or they can drop a Plot Point to have retroactively given a Crewmember a sweet tool.

Hitters can get some dirty, dirty tricks, as well as size up opponents before they ever have to fight.

Masterminds can allow Crewmembers to openly share Plot Points or even turn a Complication around into a bonus die for their own roll.

Thieves can take Talents to gain bonuses on just about any specialty.

Open Talents include allowing you to blend into the background or spend a Plot Point to insert yourself into a scene that you weren't already involved in.

The Talents section ends with a set of Talent creation rules, in case you want something that's not there.

The Recruitment Job is a minisession that brings the group together and helpfully fills out the rest of the character sheet. According to the book, by this point every Crewmember should still be recording 3 Role dice, 2 Distinctions, 2 Talents and 2 Specialties...so I'm really kind of confused on Talents (and Specialties), as to what should be defined when.

The Fixer gets a very brief "Job Creation" guide, to help slap the short session together. Essentially, the Fixer drops the basic scenario in the laps of the Crew, and lets them figure out how they want to solve it, with each deciding their role.

You all then walk through the Scenario, adding the appropriate Talents, Specialties and other Roles as need be, with the Mastermind swooping in to fix things if someone botches their part of the mission.

Once everyone goes through their Spotlight Scenes and the Mark is taken down, all of the Crew should be pretty well fleshed out.

Alternately, there is "Fast Recruitment", which lets you fill in the blanks without the Recruitment Job.

One thing worth noting is that one of your Distinctions is out of your control: That is, the other players will determine that Distinction, as it is how other people see you, so have fun with that.

Experience is handled a little differently here. You record the Jobs you go on, and you can refer back to previous jobs in Callbacks, essentially gaining free Plot Points. You can also "spend" jobs to add Assets, Specialties or Talents, or improve Attributes or Roles, although you can't use "spent" jobs for Callbacks.

You can also modify the Crew (in big and small ways) over time, replacing Distinctions, losing (and replacing) Assets and so on. Optional rules are included to take a very loose approach ala Relationships in Smallville, building the Trust among the team, which can yield benefits.

Lastly, after x amount of Jobs, you take a Break (Leverage tends to run in "split seasons", usually with a dramatic twist that sets up the time off)...during that time, all remaining Jobs must be "spent" in preperation for the return to action.

The latter part of this chapter cleared up the earlier parts...but this could have really done well to have a one page "cheat sheet" of precisely what you get and when creating characters, with hard numbers removed from the wall of text.

All of the flowcharts in Smallville made it incredibly easy to follow...and while character creation isn't as involved here, a summary would still have been great.

The chapter ends with Rap Sheets for the five main cast members, as well as temporary Grifter replacement Tara Cole.

THE JOB

A more detailed gameplay chapter, beginning with going back over Traits in more detail...note that a LOT of supporting characters will be utterly defined by one or two Traits: Thug d6 or Nervous d4 Deputy d8, etc.

We get a very well-written breakdown of action for the game, defining scenes in "beats" (when the dice are rolled), as well as kinds of actions, such as Face Actions (used when one character is trying to manipulate another, for instance).

In Combat, you can Give In if you're losing and don't think you can turn things around, taking a Complication but getting away, as well as a Plot Point.

Leverage uses Flashbacks, and we cover both types in detail: Establishment Flashbacks which are used to add an Asset for the scene to help you out, and the Wrap-Up Flashbacks in which the Crew's plans are all in place, the proverbial trigger is pulled, and hopefully the Mark goes down.

THE FIXER

This is the GMing chapter, and a well-done chapter it is.

This chapter provides a breakdown of the Leverage pacing structure, and a step-by-step walkthrough for building a Caper. You get the starting points: The Mark, The Client and The Problem...does someone come to the Crew? Does one of the Crew witness something they feel needs fixing? Etc. Other selections include The Problem, Why They Need The Crew (if the bad guy is the Mayor, normal legal channels may not work), The Mark's Angle, Why The Mark is Protected, The Mark's Weakness, Who Else Is Involved...just a well-build menu to help walk you through creating Capers.

Again, this chapter is heavily focused on recreating the Leverage experience, with your Crew, and a lot of space is devoted to that. There is a handy section on Twists you may want to avoid, mostly so that you don't make your Crew so paranoid that they refuse to do much of anything without hours of preparation...(anyone here every play D&D with someone whose DM twisted a Wish on them, and they got another Wish? Did that player take an hour carefully phrasing said Wish to avoid being utterly screwed?)

Ultimately, the rule is "Don't let the action slow down, and give the players enough information that they don't spend all night chasing their tails"...which, in most situations, I completely agree. A tail-chasing scenario CAN work, in the right circumstances...I mean, it's classic red herring stuff...but setting up a Mark who is actually innocent isn't the same thing as not giving the players an essential piece of information and having them chase drug smugglers when they really need to be bringing down a hospital administrator.

Seriously...I love the idea of this game, but as I noted, the Quickstart Job made me very...nervous. This removes a LOT of apprehension I have about trying to run the game, essentially acting as a Dummy's Guide To Heists and Capers.

Very well done.

THE TOOLBOX

This is the "how-to" build very aspects of The Job, complete with examples.

The Mark is defined by their Traits, starting with why they are untouchable and their motivations...then they get their weaknesses...and a fifth trait that's more than a little for flavor.

The Client isn't detailed quite as specifically, but they aren't often involved in the middle of the action (though this isn't always true, as more than one Client has wound up as part of the Crew's plan).

Extras a generally a single trait.

Agents are a little more detailed (and competent) than Extras (and often Clients), and can be on your side or against you.

Foils are built almost exactly like Crewmembers (minus Roles, but with Traits). They are generally recurring characters, sometimes being from a Crewmember's past and sometimes holding a grudge once crossing paths with the Crew after they are formed.

Places have Traits as well, and can be one time set pieces or recurring scenery (like the Crew's base).

We also get a bit on "ripping from the headlines"...that is, taking a story from the news and turning it into a caper. Which really ISN'T a bad idea, and if you have any news-aware players, they can probably give you all kinds of inspiration (maybe even bringing you the basic caper themselves).

Where they REALLY win me over is the Random Situation Generator. Yeah...a series of charts that you can use to roll up Capers, starting with The Client and going from there. In fact, I'm going to sideline this review for a minute to roll up a Caper.

Client: Clergy
Problem: Framed (oh, this is getting good already)
Pressure: It's Personal
Mark: Businessperson
Mark's Angle: Greedy
Mark's Power: Wealthy and Connected
Mark's Weakness: Fearful
Mark's Vulnerability: Family
Who Else Is Involved: The Innocent
The Twist: The Mark' not really the bad guy

Hmm...I'm seeing a Pastor or Priest of the church that a crewmember either does (or did) belong to being framed for embezzlement in a charity situation with a local (successful) businessman whose wife is the church receptionist and whose son is a youth leader at the church. Obviously, he's a heartless, greedy bastard who set up the clergyman...except, of course, that he didn't...in this case, I'm inclined to say that the wife or son is the The Bad Guy, having access to both ends of the business' charitable donations. For a REALLY seedy twist, toss in an affair: Wife with clergyman, clergyman with youth leader or wife (actually step-mom) with son...maybe Dad is prominently anti-gay (maybe funding "re-education camps"?), son and clergyman are closeted lovers, and son is doing this all behind his Dad's and lover's back, planning on his lover being exonerated when the framejob collapses...either thinking he can outsmart your Crew, or not counting on the clergyman going to the Crew for help.

Hm...yeah. Anti-gay businessman funding homosexual re-education camps. Clergy gets outed as being gay, and then the frame job happens. Clergyman goes to the Crewmember for help, knowing that the businessman HAS to be setting him up, thinking he may suspect the affair with businessman's son. In reality, the son (with some pent up hostility towards Dad) has manipulated his position working in both the church and his father's company to set up this elaborate plot to give his tyrannical father his comeuppance. Mom can just be hopelessly caught in the middle or supporting either the father's or son's agenda, depending. I think that'd work.

Anyway, back to the review:

The chapter rounds out with stats for some Agents and Foils from the show, including geek icon Wil Wheaton's turn as the Hacker known as Cha0s...and contradicting the early section that says they don't have Roles, but Traits...(to be fair, the book says that some of the Traits may be the same as some of the Roles the Crew has...but not only do the example Foils have the exact same Roles, but they are listed as Roles and not Traits...an example of a Foil, even fictional, with differing Traits would have been appreciated).

THE CRIME WORLD

This chapter gives tips on considering the world at large, as well as "thinking like a criminal", but the harmless, Leverage kind of criminal (that is, don't go around shooting people, for instance).

Of course, it also says to Keep A Low Profile, and anyone who watches the show should know why I find that to be so funny (the crew ends most episodes mugging for the Mark as they are hauled away, and Eliot has become a media sensation at least twice while on the job).

We also get the basics of Cons, including some Cons used in the show, to help everyone get in the mindset.

While not as impressive as the GMing chapter, it is still very helpful.

THE RECORD

This is a summary of the first two seasons, broken down with The Client, The Mark, The Problem, The Plan and How It Goes Down, with quotes tossed in for good measure.

After all of that, we get a blank Rap Sheet.

CONCLUSION

I doubt I've ever been more disappointed that I lack a full group of five players than I am now. Margart Weis Productions *may* have topped Smallville here.