Today we are pleased to present you the review of Xenoscape, a science fiction role-playing game designed and written by Alessandro Rivaroli, author, among others, of #UrbanHeroes and V-World, in collaboration with Luca Cristofori.
We want to thank the author and the Tin Hat Games publishing house for making available to us a digital copy of the two volumes that compose it: the Book of Traditions and the Book of Creatures; you can find them on sale in the publisher’s store at a cost of 80.00 euros in physical copy or 25.00 euros in PDF version.
Xenoscape: Review of the Book of Traditions
This manual (almost 300 pages) presents the ruleset and character creation.
It is an excellent editorial product, with an intriguing aesthetic and original images that help immerse in this setting beyond the end of the universe. Everything is laid out in a single column which allows easy reading of the manual, even in PDF (on any device).
The manual begins with an explanation of what roleplaying games are and what is needed to play them.
Chapter 1: Introduction and Setting
So let’s start with the setting. We find ourselves in a very distant future, so distant that All Tomorrows seems like recent stuff. Humanity has expanded across countless planets; this after leaving Earth nearly 7 million years ago, creating a generational series of galactic empires until their inevitable collapse.
Our story begins on one of these planets, Materia, which has seen a progressive decay to its current conditions; various sentient beings in primitive conditions live in the shadow of the planet’s megafauna which, with its size and catastrophic actions, prevents the development of a civilization superior to semi-nomadic subsistence. Despite this, traditions are carried in various ways and sentient beings seek a purpose in life amid the dangers of a dying planet and the bright ruins of a past that will not return.
In fact the incipit is quite interesting; Xenoscape is a game that combines a very visceral type of science fiction with a primitive setting. A combination that allows you to experience multiple situations (with a suitable group). Obviously you have to appreciate the premise of a megafauna ready to devastate everything.
Chapter 2: Character Creation
Much of the Book of Lore is about character creation; the process is summarized in establishing steps:
– The Evolutionary Factor: indicates the Level of the game campaign and therefore of its characters. Its score ranges from 2 to 30 and depends on the sum of the Species and Path scores.
– Species and Path: the kind of creature you decide to interpret and how it moves in the world. Both have a score ranging from 1 to 15. As the first increases, Genetic Traits and Characteristics are obtained; with the increase of the second, Acquired Traits and Abilities.
– Skills: the character’s proficiencies.
– Traits: unique abilities derived from Species and Path.
– Artifacts: what the character owns, such as equipment and tools.
– Background: a phase that helps creating an all-around character.
In the same chapter we also find the character sheet. Although it is very suggestive and in line with the genetic and abandonment themes of the setting, its colors and structure can create a bit of confusion in the upper part. The rest is perfectly readable and tidy.
The characteristics of the protagonistsare three: Body, Reflexes and Mind. From each you get two other sub-characteristics (such as Coolness and Learning for the Mind) connected to other game mechanics. In addition to this, the union of two of the above-mentioned Characteristics generates three further values, defined as Systems; The Immune one determines health, the Energy one represents the ability to sustain physical efforts and finally the Nervous one manages concentration and resistance to madness. The Systems then become useful resources to spend to pass the Tests; in any case, keep in mind that spending too much can lead to heavy penalties. They therefore are a precious resource to be exploited carefully.
The Species
We then arrive at one of the highlights of the Book of Traditions, the second volume of the protagonist of this review, Xenoscape. The Sentient Species are then presented; the player can choose among them to bring their character to life. These are six original species, all enormously different from each other and with various subspecies.
Among them we find Shrubs, plant beings with an idea of life, death and time very different from the common one; there are also Mecha-Suits, highly technological robots that can live symbiotically with other Species, obtaining and granting advantages. Another example is the Necrocordiceps, which I can only describe as colonies of intelligent viruses that control corpses. Even the Clones, once simple humans, are now beings created in a laboratory and released into the world of Materia. Perfect in some respects, but also incredibly lacking given the impossibility of reproducing autonomously; that’s a detail around which their entire racial subplot revolves.
Each Species has a vast description which is ideally given by one of its own members. Those are pretty interesting insights into biology and behavior, as useful as the mechanical data for the character. They guarantee a total of points to be distributed among the Characteristics (according to a system that provides a Minimum and a Maximum), Each species has unique Traits and advantages. At the end there is a long and detailed list of unique Genetic Traits that each species can access.
This is an in-depth and undoubtedly interesting work. In fact, although the possible difficulty of some players in interpreting such alien beings without falling into banality is undeniable, in the hands of an expert and capable group this same difficulty can turn into a pleasant challenge to face, giving life to truly unique and unrepeatable characters.
The Paths and Evolution
The Paths are in fact what the character can do. Some would even call them Classes. They determine how many Skill Levels you have and on which Skills you can use them, Acquired Traits to choose from, starting Artifacts, and unique abilities. There are 17 Paths and each one is described briefly; they focus on a specific concept, avoiding repetitions and giving a high range of possible combinations.
I personally loved the Bioshaman, who goes into mystical ecstasy devouring every junk and dangerous thing they find on the planet. Whether crazy or brave, they are certainly interesting.
Then there is a small section that explains how to chose Multiple Paths (further increasing the possible combinations) and how to level up. These mechanics involve the distribution of Evolution Points between Species and Path. When you reach a certain number of Evolution Points in one of these, you will be able to level up and obtain new abilities, skills and traits. It is a rather simple and immediate system, which makes it quick to observe the constant development of your character.
Chapter 3: Xenoscape Ruleset Review
The Chapter contains everything you need to play your character in the dangerous world of Materia. This occurs through Characteristic, Skill and Action Tests against a Difficulty Level, which varies based on the situation. To pass a Test, the character adds Characteristics, the levels of one or more Skills that contribute to the performance and any System Points used to enhance the action. If the sum is higher than the Difficulty Level, the Test is passed.
This is the basis of the whole regulation derives, including the combat. The manual also places emphasis on various types of Tests and explains in detail how a character takes damage and what the various negative effects mean. Survival also appears to have a central role; in such a setting, neglecting one’s needs or underestimating the deprivations that Materia can impose, easily leads to death. A lesson that countless characters have suffered firsthand.
Rather interesting is the Sleep mechanics. Materia seems to be connected to a dreamlike dimension in which those who dream travel; creatures and horrors of various types also emerge from there. Characters may find themselves trapped in nightmares and prophecies, but also gain strange and particular abilities based on luck and their accumulated Stress points. Although it is a mechanic that should not be abused, it can be a rather strong narrative inspiration; it’s fascinating to involve the characters of this devastated world in something mystical and mysterious.
Chapter 4 – 5: The World and the Stories
Chapter 4 opens with a (too) brief description of some of the most advanced places and companies. These are different from the primitive world previously presented and offer an interesting change of perspective. But I would have liked a greater study, so as to do justice to a potentially extremely interesting world; This is therefore left in part in the hands of the narrator.
Much of the Chapter is dedicated to describing Artifacts and the Resources needed to build them. This is a rather detailed list that represents the authors’ attention to crafting mechanics; a more than necessary and appreciated element in a setting that places so much emphasis on the survival component. The Artifacts described range from the most basic primitive weapons to the most advanced spacesuits, with detailed insights. I really appreciated the idea of symbiotic or parasitic fungi: they are both a creeping threat and tempting for the advantages they can provide.
The Chapter ends with a description of the statuses that can be suffered on Materia and the random dangers that can be encountered; two tools that can always prove useful. The last thing is a brief description of the religions present on Materia; some present interesting, unique and original ideas, while others are mythological reminiscences of the ancient humans who colonized the planet.
Chapter 5 explains how Xenoscape Adventures should be generated, managed, and concluded. It provides a number of advices and even some plot ideas, but in my opinion it remains too general and does not provide the narrators with as much help as it could have; even more so in an RPG with a setting that wants to be so alien and complex.
Xenoscape: Review of the Book of Creatures
The Book of Creatures, a necessary manual for managing the strange flora and fauna of Materia, is a beautiful 274-page volume aesthetically very similar to the first one.
It is essentially a Bestiary in which (as you can see from the images contained in this review of Xenoscape) there is great attention to detail and graphics, as well as original images of unique and suggestive creatures.
Chapter 1 explains the differences in approach that NPCs can have compared to player characters; it provides suggestions on the role they can play and we can also find some tables of ready-to-use NPCs to facilitate the Master’s work.
The dangerousness system of the creatures is then explained, followed by a small compendium of random encounters that can help both lazy narrators and those looking for a strong element to shake up a session that is too calm.
Chapter 2: Creatures
This Chapter focuses on presenting the dangerous flora and fauna that a corrupt ecosystem like Materia has spawned. Each creature sheet provides a physical and biological description, its tactics and of course its characteristics. Creatures are divided into various types, from the most common ones to others that possess extraordinary unique abilities; some can distort space-time, others come from different dimensions and others present even more captivating peculiarities.
Among the many creatures that have positively impressed me is the Cyclops Sloth; in order to move even less, it developed the peculiar power to distort space-time and to strike possible prey with lethal ambushes. Fairies are instead described as beings linked to the dream dimension. Finally, the strange Terror of the Living is a creature that can emit a beam of radiation capable of liquefying its prey and poisoning the places in which it moves. Moreover there are other different enemies such as the Megafauna of Materia, robots that have survived after thousands of years and unspeakable Lovecraftian horrors; all these beings easily put a strain on the mental and physical sanity of the characters.
The Creatures presented are suggestive and are described in a scientific manner thanks to the effort to build an ecosystem around them, explaining their biological mechanisms and habits. I particularly appreciated this approach, capable of giving a lot of coherence to gaming sessions.
Chapter 3: Personality
This Chapter deals with describing some of the individuals, allies or enemies, of Materia.
This is certainly an interesting gallery that also provides further information on the game world and the relationships that bind the various communities. They can be used excellently as random encounters, important allies or, of course, ruthless enemies.
Each one has a short Background with its past and its purposes, the level of danger and its statistics which will help the narrator to insert it into his sessions.
Final Thoughts of the Xenoscape Review
Xenoscape is certainly a particular product among the roleplaying games, confirming how Tin Hat Games usually offers very original products.
It is in fact a science fiction setting that is very advanced in time, with an extensive use of speculative evolution and strongly characterized by the contrast between the ruins of a technologically opulent world and the current difficult situation of Materia. This contrast, combined with the presence of Species very different from the usual canons, is capable of giving to an expert group the means to generate unique and exciting stories, probably more in-depth and introspective than those that could be found in other science fiction contexts. This certainly doesn’t deny a more action-packed and playful aspect, but I clearly noticed the desire to give life to something deeper.
We find descriptions of various societies, places and religions that can help to have an idea of what awaits the characters and in what the authors wanted to create, but an extra effort in this direction would have further benefited this product.
To conclude this review, I can state that Xenoscape is an interesting product and that it allows an exploration of the most extreme science fiction themes; it must be approached with the right calm and awareness, but it can provide truly unforgettable sessions!
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