In this preview, we explore Ancestors, Gamers Hunters‘ new project. We thank them for giving us a copy of the quickstart so we could tell you about it.

In the author’s and publisher’s view, Ancestors is intended to be a steampunk roleplaying game set, as the introduction states:

In a world of boundless continents and extraordinary biomes, inhabited by creatures and flora of incredible shapes and sizes. Here, humans and fantastic creatures coexist and cooperate, while fearsome pirates and valiant knights clash to maintain the balance. All this is framed in an industrial age that marks the rise of the Steampunk period, where technological progress and magic merge in an unprecedented combination.

We will see together in this preview whether the ambitious premises are fulfilled.

An Overview of the Ancestors Quickstart

I’ll start right away by telling you that the quickstart, available directly from the publisher’s store for 10 euros for the physical version or 4 euros for the digital copy, consists of 24 pages in A4 format and contains the broad outline of the game’s setting and the first rudiments of the rules.

If you want a first adventure to test the game, you must frame the QR code at the bottom of the booklet to get Inside the Unknown. The introductory one-shot comes with 4 pre-generated character sheets plus a fill-in-the-blank one. If the decision not to include it in the booklet may certainly serve to arouse curiosity to visit the site, one must bear in mind that it does not immediately provide everything needed to try out the game.

The first part of the quickstart introduces the setting and the world of Tal-Varis. It is a place with an undoubtedly fantasy basis, with numerous kingdoms scattered across an immense ocean. Each kingdom is inhabited by essentially one playable race. Among them we find: Great Men, Elves, Dwarves, Sylvanar (majestic creatures with a strong connection to nature), Noxilith (with purple skin and silver eyes) and Aqualonids (beings adapted to live underwater).

The flora and fauna of Tal-Varis are also imaginative, to say the least. They range, to give just a few examples, from the Freddoluce moss, which emits a soft light at night, to the Tartalene, large, armoured cetaceans. There are also the Setarians, rabbit-like creatures that produce silk.

Kingdoms, lineages, factions and magic are also introduced in a few pages. Perhaps too many topics for such a small space.

Game Rules

Ancestors uses a proprietary game system called The Hand of Fate. It is a narrative sequence in which players will have to deal with their statistics, roll the dice and change their fate through the use of Fate Points. Let’s try to understand in more detail what this is all about.

The game sequence consists of four phases:

• The Entanglement, i.e. the narration related to the current scene by the Game Master
• The Hand that Shapes, the characters’ choice of Traits, Skills and Abilities. Advantages and Techniques are also declared, and special cards called Primes are used
• The Fate, which is revealed by rolling dice and accumulating Fate Points
• The Fabric of Destiny, which is equivalent to spending Fate Points and Affinity Points

While Fate Points are derived from a roll of a 10-sided dice pool, Affinity Points are tokens that characters can obtain under special circumstances. They can then be spent, for example, to help a companion.

The Game Master has Recognition Points at their disposal. They are the equivalent of character Affinity Points and are used to introduce obstacles or special features of the opponents.

Completing and concluding the second section of the Ancestors quickstart is an overview of the playable character classes, with traits, skills and techniques.

Preview of Ancestors‘ Aesthetics

From an aesthetic point of view, Ancestors is extremely pleasing. The two-column layout is classic, although perhaps text in a justified format would have been preferable. Jessica Prando’s illustrations make the manual even more precious, and the maps generated with Inkarnate are of good quality.

We will of course, have to wait for the final product for an overall judgement, but the premises are very good.

The Introductory Story

Inside the Unknown is the introductory one-shot, downloadable directly from the QR code inside the quickstart.

It is set in the capital of Eroudel’s largest continent, Oaksbourg. What moves the action is an invitation to take part in an expedition to recover an object of great importance.

In its eight pages, the mechanisms of the rules and some of the NPCs of the setting are introduced. The conclusion, which is decidedly wild, leaves the door open to possible developments.

Final Thoughts of the Ancestors Preview

To conclude this preview, the overall impression is that in the Ancestors quickstart, they wanted to pack into 10 pages what would take 10 times as many. All topics, from cosmogony to geography and playable races, are barely mentioned. At times, they can appear confusing and contain some inconsistencies, as if an overall check was missing.

We therefore hope that in the final product these and the writing errors will be resolved by a careful editing and proofreading process. In this way, the broad setting and pleasing art will have a chance to shine in an appropriate context.

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