The Inside Scoop on Gaming

I tend to be naturally skeptical of White Wolf games. I guess it was my early experiences of Vampire and Werewolf that did this to me. I suppose it didn't help matters that most of the people I met who played either game were rabid fans who mistook their faves as more than just games. Needless to say, then, I was very suspicious of Trinity when it first appeared almost two years ago. That it came in an odd binder-like cover and required a sticker to cover over its originally-printed title (Æon) didn't help matters. So, I proceeded to go about my life, secure in the knowledge that Trinity was another one of those goofy White Wolf games that my life would be better without.

Then I interviewed Andrew Bates, the line editor for Trinity as part of my ongoing series of SF RPG interviews. Andrew's answers to some of my questions surprised and indeed intrigued me. And when he mentioned that there'd be a special softcover edition of the game at an introductory low price, I started to become interested for the first time. Imagine that: me, interested in Trinity. So, when I saw this fabled softcover edition at my local gaming store, I picked it up. After all, it was really cheap. Even if I didn't like it, I wouldn't have wasted a lot of money.

Against my better judgment, though, I liked Trinity a great deal.

In many ways, Trinity is your typical White Wolf game. You know the drill: your character has powers beyond those of ordinary men. Your powers relate to the faction to which you belong. Your enemies are more powerful, completely evil, and will kill you without mercy. For a time, you keep your existence a secret from humanity. In reality, though, you (and your enemies) are pawns of greater powers whose motives are unknown and indeed incomprehensible. In Trinity, you play Psions, human beings that have undergone the "Prometheus Effect," awakening latent psychich powers within them. These powers are categorized according to "Aptitudes" and each of these Aptitudes has three "Modes" or paths of using them. Naturally, these Aptitudes are associated with a Psi Order, to which all characters are expected to belong. These Orders defend humanity against the depradations of the Aberrants, humans whose own psychic abilities mutated them into insane monsters intent on wiping out the human race. Most campaigns, I imagine, will involve player Psions defending Earth and her colonies from Aberrant plots and attacks.

Of course, the Trinity universe is more than a one-trick pony. One of the many things that initially turned me off the game was what I perceived as its singular emphasis on the Psion vs. Aberrant conflict. While that conflict is indeed essential to the setting, it is not the only one. Earth remains balkanized and divided among a variety of national states, from a super-power China to a fascist America to a vibrant Brazil, the planet is ripe with opportunities for adventure. Conveniently, each Psi Order is associated with a particular continent, giving players ties that a Storyteller can exploit if need be. Earth also has several off-world colonies, many of which had been cut off from contact with the homeworld until recently. Since the Aberrants took up residence in the far reaches of space, Psions play an important role in any attempt to journey to the stars. In addition, there are greedy metacorps, enignmatic aliens, and impressive technologies to contend with. One of the nice things about Trinity is that it can accommodate a large number of different SF genres within its over-arching setting. That's great for a Storyteller looking to place his own mark on the setting.

Trinity is sometimes called a "superheroic" roleplaying game, an appellation that I know causes great pain to its developer, Andrw Bates. At the same time, I understand why reviewers sometimes call it such. The game focuses very heavily on super-powered humans in their efforts to protect humanity. Doesn't that sound like a superhero game to you? It certainly does to me. Yet, I also understand why Andrew Bates recoils from this characterization. Trinity is not a game of black and white certainties, of simple morality and clearly delineated good guys and bad guys. Trinity is a game of shades of grey and indeed revels in that uncertainty. In a way, both characterizations of Trinity are accurate. It's more a question of which elements you choose to focus on. If I were White Wolf, I'd do my best to emphasize those elements that best serve the direction in which they intend to take the game. They've already done this to a limited extent: focusing on the theme of "Hope. Sacrifice. Unity." and subtitling the game "Epic Science Fiction Roleplaying" is a good start. Still, I'd like to see them go further, if they want to shake the superhero moniker.

Trinity uses a slightly cleaned up version of the in-house Storyteller system. Old White Wolf hands will understand its mechanics easily enough. The primary differences between Trinity and the classic system involve the explicit tying of Abilities to Attributes, the use of a unified target number for all rolls, and fixing the botch rule. While not without its flaws, the Storyteller system is quite easy to master and easy to employ on the fly. Players of Trinity will find it does not get in the way of playing the game, which is the best test of the quality of any game system.

I'd recommend Trinity to anyone looking for a new SF RPG. The softcover edition is cheap and beautifully illustrated (over half its page are in full-color). It provides everything you need to run a campaign, whatever your interests in science fiction. The game is also very well supported with a wide variety of supplements. Many more are scheduled (just take a look at the inside back cover of this edition for a list), including a new game, Aberrant, scheduled for release this summer. Give Trinity a chance; you might be pleasantly surprised. I know I was.

Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Trinity (Softcover Edition)
Author: Andrew Bates, et al. Category: game Company/Publisher: White Wolf Line: *Trinity* Cost: $14.95 Page count: 320 ISBN: 9-781565-046221 Playtest Review by James Maliszewski on 04/20/99. Genre tags: Science_fiction Space	I tend to be naturally skeptical of White Wolf games. I guess it was my early experiences of Vampire and Werewolf that did this to me. I suppose it didn't help matters that most of the people I met who played either game were rabid fans who mistook their faves as more than just games. Needless to say, then, I was very suspicious of Trinity when it first appeared almost two years ago. That it came in an odd binder-like cover and required a sticker to cover over its originally-printed title (Æon) didn't help matters. So, I proceeded to go about my life, secure in the knowledge that Trinity was another one of those goofy White Wolf games that my life would be better without. Then I interviewed Andrew Bates, the line editor for Trinity as part of my ongoing series of SF RPG interviews. Andrew's answers to some of my questions surprised and indeed intrigued me. And when he mentioned that there'd be a special softcover edition of the game at an introductory low price, I started to become interested for the first time. Imagine that: me, interested in Trinity. So, when I saw this fabled softcover edition at my local gaming store, I picked it up. After all, it was really cheap. Even if I didn't like it, I wouldn't have wasted a lot of money. Against my better judgment, though, I liked Trinity a great deal. In many ways, Trinity is your typical White Wolf game. You know the drill: your character has powers beyond those of ordinary men. Your powers relate to the faction to which you belong. Your enemies are more powerful, completely evil, and will kill you without mercy. For a time, you keep your existence a secret from humanity. In reality, though, you (and your enemies) are pawns of greater powers whose motives are unknown and indeed incomprehensible. In Trinity, you play Psions, human beings that have undergone the "Prometheus Effect," awakening latent psychich powers within them. These powers are categorized according to "Aptitudes" and each of these Aptitudes has three "Modes" or paths of using them. Naturally, these Aptitudes are associated with a Psi Order, to which all characters are expected to belong. These Orders defend humanity against the depradations of the Aberrants, humans whose own psychic abilities mutated them into insane monsters intent on wiping out the human race. Most campaigns, I imagine, will involve player Psions defending Earth and her colonies from Aberrant plots and attacks. Of course, the Trinity universe is more than a one-trick pony. One of the many things that initially turned me off the game was what I perceived as its singular emphasis on the Psion vs. Aberrant conflict. While that conflict is indeed essential to the setting, it is not the only one. Earth remains balkanized and divided among a variety of national states, from a super-power China to a fascist America to a vibrant Brazil, the planet is ripe with opportunities for adventure. Conveniently, each Psi Order is associated with a particular continent, giving players ties that a Storyteller can exploit if need be. Earth also has several off-world colonies, many of which had been cut off from contact with the homeworld until recently. Since the Aberrants took up residence in the far reaches of space, Psions play an important role in any attempt to journey to the stars. In addition, there are greedy metacorps, enignmatic aliens, and impressive technologies to contend with. One of the nice things about Trinity is that it can accommodate a large number of different SF genres within its over-arching setting. That's great for a Storyteller looking to place his own mark on the setting. Trinity is sometimes called a "superheroic" roleplaying game, an appellation that I know causes great pain to its developer, Andrw Bates. At the same time, I understand why reviewers sometimes call it such. The game focuses very heavily on super-powered humans in their efforts to protect humanity. Doesn't that sound like a superhero game to you? It certainly does to me. Yet, I also understand why Andrew Bates recoils from this characterization. Trinity is not a game of black and white certainties, of simple morality and clearly delineated good guys and bad guys. Trinity is a game of shades of grey and indeed revels in that uncertainty. In a way, both characterizations of Trinity are accurate. It's more a question of which elements you choose to focus on. If I were White Wolf, I'd do my best to emphasize those elements that best serve the direction in which they intend to take the game. They've already done this to a limited extent: focusing on the theme of "Hope. Sacrifice. Unity." and subtitling the game "Epic Science Fiction Roleplaying" is a good start. Still, I'd like to see them go further, if they want to shake the superhero moniker. Trinity uses a slightly cleaned up version of the in-house Storyteller system. Old White Wolf hands will understand its mechanics easily enough. The primary differences between Trinity and the classic system involve the explicit tying of Abilities to Attributes, the use of a unified target number for all rolls, and fixing the botch rule. While not without its flaws, the Storyteller system is quite easy to master and easy to employ on the fly. Players of Trinity will find it does not get in the way of playing the game, which is the best test of the quality of any game system. I'd recommend Trinity to anyone looking for a new SF RPG. The softcover edition is cheap and beautifully illustrated (over half its page are in full-color). It provides everything you need to run a campaign, whatever your interests in science fiction. The game is also very well supported with a wide variety of supplements. Many more are scheduled (just take a look at the inside back cover of this edition for a list), including a new game, Aberrant, scheduled for release this summer. Give Trinity a chance; you might be pleasantly surprised. I know I was. Style: 5 (Excellent!) Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Trinity (Softcover Edition)