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Okay. Here goes.

After hearing both good and bad about this game system, I had to buy it. After all, I hadn't heard of the publisher (Atlas Games) until after I had read the first review of the game. It was $25, reasonable for a RPG, and tolerable for a soft-cover. I was, I must admit, shocked by the cover, which depicts a very dead twentysomething-year-old man in a pool of his own blood laid out over a small kitchen table. (It must be said that usually, art of this nature is reserved for the interior of a book.) The top of the book read, "A roleplaying game of trancendental horror and furious action."

I was intrigued.

First, the Bad.

There is no skill listing, and everything in the world can be a skill. This means that 'Run Like Hell' is a skill, just like 'Sprinting', 'Fleeing', and 'Get the Hell Out'. This skill system is good for those with a good idea of what is available, more or less, but offers no structure for the neonate player. This also means that there will be skill overlap (see the above example), and some skills will have to be defined and run by the GM. It encourages GM interaction, but is a bit hard for GMs to become adjusted to. (Instead of asking "What's yer bureaucracy skill?" you say, "Ehrm... does anyone have anything to do with bureaucracy?")

Now the Good.

The magical schools depicted were a breath of fresh air. Where else have you heard of Pornomancy? You too can be a magically adept porn star. Dipsomancy? Sure you can do magic. You just have to be drunk. All the time. If yer ever sober, not only do you lose your buzz, but you can't blast someone with your mojo until you chug a few beers. All the schools of magic are interesting to read, interesting to play, and fun to deal with. There are rules to create your own schools of magic, if you want to give your campaign a more "traditional" feel, and these are as easy to master as any of the other rules. (Let's see how that Pornomancer deals with some followers of the Deep Ones, shall we?)

The rules play fast and furious, and are really well written. The action is simple, quick, and bloody. And finally! A good shot can kill a person with one bullet! (You don't know how long I've waited!)

The game runs on a simple percentile die system, with good being the low roll (under your skill rating). The game actually uses the term "BOHICA" (Bend Over, Here It Comes Again!), and it is truly horrible to behold. White Wolfers might consider it a "Botch" on Crack. Matched rolls have special rewards or consequences, depending on if the roll was successful or not.

The art is slightly surreal, which is fine for the subject matter, and it helps to keep you turning pages.

All in all, I'd say it was $25 well spent.

Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Unknown Armies
Author: Greg Stolze & John Tynes Category: game Company/Publisher: Atlas Games Cost: $25.00 Page count: 223 ISBN: 1-887801-70-7 Capsule Review by Chris French on 03/22/99. Genre tags: Fantasy Science_fiction Modern_day Horror Conspiracy	Okay. Here goes. After hearing both good and bad about this game system, I had to buy it. After all, I hadn't heard of the publisher (Atlas Games) until after I had read the first review of the game. It was $25, reasonable for a RPG, and tolerable for a soft-cover. I was, I must admit, shocked by the cover, which depicts a very dead twentysomething-year-old man in a pool of his own blood laid out over a small kitchen table. (It must be said that usually, art of this nature is reserved for the interior of a book.) The top of the book read, "A roleplaying game of trancendental horror and furious action." I was intrigued. First, the Bad. There is no skill listing, and everything in the world can be a skill. This means that 'Run Like Hell' is a skill, just like 'Sprinting', 'Fleeing', and 'Get the Hell Out'. This skill system is good for those with a good idea of what is available, more or less, but offers no structure for the neonate player. This also means that there will be skill overlap (see the above example), and some skills will have to be defined and run by the GM. It encourages GM interaction, but is a bit hard for GMs to become adjusted to. (Instead of asking "What's yer bureaucracy skill?" you say, "Ehrm... does anyone have anything to do with bureaucracy?") Now the Good. The magical schools depicted were a breath of fresh air. Where else have you heard of Pornomancy? You too can be a magically adept porn star. Dipsomancy? Sure you can do magic. You just have to be drunk. All the time. If yer ever sober, not only do you lose your buzz, but you can't blast someone with your mojo until you chug a few beers. All the schools of magic are interesting to read, interesting to play, and fun to deal with. There are rules to create your own schools of magic, if you want to give your campaign a more "traditional" feel, and these are as easy to master as any of the other rules. (Let's see how that Pornomancer deals with some followers of the Deep Ones, shall we?) The rules play fast and furious, and are really well written. The action is simple, quick, and bloody. And finally! A good shot can kill a person with one bullet! (You don't know how long I've waited!) The game runs on a simple percentile die system, with good being the low roll (under your skill rating). The game actually uses the term "BOHICA" (Bend Over, Here It Comes Again!), and it is truly horrible to behold. White Wolfers might consider it a "Botch" on Crack. Matched rolls have special rewards or consequences, depending on if the roll was successful or not. The art is slightly surreal, which is fine for the subject matter, and it helps to keep you turning pages. All in all, I'd say it was $25 well spent. Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Unknown Armies