by Brant Guillory, 15 February 2024 ~ #UnboxingDay
Hey look! It’s another RPG starter set! Must mean it’s time for me to take a look inside
click images to enlarge
This is an in-house system developed by EN Publishing, and if that sounds like ENWorld to you, then you figured it out. This is not a derivative of the classic D&D 6-stat/OGL/5e style game. It’s closer in ‘feel’ to Savage Worlds but with a little more mechanical depth. It is genre-agnostic and as the cover alludes, can cover a lot of different settings.
The starter box has a basic rulebook, and 3 different starter scenarios in 3 very different settings. There is a tactical map and a set of character sheets for each of the scenarios, and a set of punch-out round counters that include everything you need for them, too. Finally, there’s a pack of red d6’s – nothing special but nice to have.
The counters are easily replaced with minis, but the illustrations are keyed to the specific characters and encounters in these scenarios.
The starter book has a “table of content” – yes, it’s all one content – and the basic mechanics. The back half of the books is a “bestiary” of foes that covers a lot of ground, as you can see by the limited snippets we captured here
The starter scenarios give you a couple of different options, from investigation to sci-fi to fantasy
The first scenario is a fantasy one with a basic adventure map, and a keyed GM’s map in the book. The characters aren’t quite “stock” fantasy ones, but they are familiar enough for a newbie to grab and run with.
This scenario seems like a straight investigation, but the characters have some superhero gloss on them, and then there’s a bit of a supernatural element to the whole story, too.
Finally, a sci-fi rescue mission, with the mandatory robot. No word on whether Dr Tiktok speaks in memes or randomly breaks out into trendy 10-second dances. It is nice that they give the GM guidance on which encounters are “essential” vs optional.
Overall, there’s a lot to like in this package, especially if you’re someone who is not (1) married to a particular setting, or (2) locked into a specific genre of RPGs. If you like to dip your toe into a lot of different waters, this isn’t a bad place to start.
Thanks for joining this month’s #UnboxingDay with the Armchair Dragoons and we hope you enjoyed a look under our hoods! You can always leave us your feedback in our #UnboxingDay thread, or in the comment area on this article, below.
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The Armchair Dragoons with glee,
Unbox games for all to see.
With dice and cardboard so neat,
They strategize, can’t be beat,
In their world of tabletop glee!
