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The Sorcerer RPG is a game about modern day sorcerers. Not the mystic magicians that cast fireballs and disappear into thin air, but about Sorcerers who actually have no real power except the power to call and bind demons. Which is a great power indeed, but also is a great risk, as demons can be a nasty lot when given the chance.

Character generation is relatively simple in the Apprentice rules. It consists of choosing which set of stats you want and making a few elementary rolls for the binding of your first demon. Everything else is determined by the player subject to the GM's approval.

The Sorcerer RPG resolution system is highly reminiscent of Risk. Everyone (Players and GM) choose a single type of die (d6, d10, d12) to roll and use that for everything. Once a roll has been made, players/GM's compare their highest roll on the dice to their opponents and find how many successes are made.

The combat system is okay, if a little confusing. According to the rules stated, a player cannot die in combat except by GM fiat. Once again, I give a bonus to this game for taking into account how well a player rolls on their attack dice in calculating damage. Speaking of which, the damage system in Sorcerer RPG leaves a little to be desired, but does work well within the system it is designed for.

The Sorcerer RPG takes place in the modern world, but could easily be transported to almost any setting with its simple mechanics and straightforward character creation rules. Beyond that, there isn't much for a setting in the Apprentice rules, but since they are free, you can't expect Ron to give everything away. You could take almost any modern setting you liked from another game and use this instead.

There are brief descriptions of the major types of Sorcerers in the back of the Apprentice rules, and there are also adventure seeds for each Sorcerer type. Once again, as a free product, there is plenty of information to get started.

There is a separate rules section for interaction with demons. Since the game is all about demons, this section is fleshed out a little more than most.

The rules are laid out in a logical manner with examples all around. Some of the examples get a little confusing with adding and subtracting of dice, but the rest is well done. There is no art in the Apprentice rules. The rules come in a downloadable PDF which I had no problems printing out.

Overall, the Sorcerer RPG: Apprentice Edition is worth a look see. A valuable addition to your eclectic RPG collection and possibly a good system for a campaign. The demon information could be helpful in any number of settings and the game system itself would be worth giving a try on an extended basis. The Sorcerer RPG: The Apprentice Edition can be found at: http://www.sorcerer-rpg.com . A nicely designed website for the game, and I have it on good authority that the first supplement for the Sorcerer RPG, called "Sorcerer and Sword", is due out soon in PDF format.

I should note however that there are several references to drugs within the Apprentice rules. I found the drug angle on the game a bit uncomfortable for my tastes. However, as it is a part of modern culture, it is definitely a valid element within the game.

Style: 3 (Average)
Substance: 3 (Average)

Sorcerer RPG: The Apprentice Version
Author: Ron Edwards Category: game Company/Publisher: Ron Edwards Line: Sorcerer RPG Cost: $0.00 Page count: 16 ISBN: NONE Capsule Review by Paul Franklin on 05/25/99. Genre tags: Fantasy Modern_day Horror Conspiracy	The Sorcerer RPG is a game about modern day sorcerers. Not the mystic magicians that cast fireballs and disappear into thin air, but about Sorcerers who actually have no real power except the power to call and bind demons. Which is a great power indeed, but also is a great risk, as demons can be a nasty lot when given the chance. Character generation is relatively simple in the Apprentice rules. It consists of choosing which set of stats you want and making a few elementary rolls for the binding of your first demon. Everything else is determined by the player subject to the GM's approval. The Sorcerer RPG resolution system is highly reminiscent of Risk. Everyone (Players and GM) choose a single type of die (d6, d10, d12) to roll and use that for everything. Once a roll has been made, players/GM's compare their highest roll on the dice to their opponents and find how many successes are made. The combat system is okay, if a little confusing. According to the rules stated, a player cannot die in combat except by GM fiat. Once again, I give a bonus to this game for taking into account how well a player rolls on their attack dice in calculating damage. Speaking of which, the damage system in Sorcerer RPG leaves a little to be desired, but does work well within the system it is designed for. The Sorcerer RPG takes place in the modern world, but could easily be transported to almost any setting with its simple mechanics and straightforward character creation rules. Beyond that, there isn't much for a setting in the Apprentice rules, but since they are free, you can't expect Ron to give everything away. You could take almost any modern setting you liked from another game and use this instead. There are brief descriptions of the major types of Sorcerers in the back of the Apprentice rules, and there are also adventure seeds for each Sorcerer type. Once again, as a free product, there is plenty of information to get started. There is a separate rules section for interaction with demons. Since the game is all about demons, this section is fleshed out a little more than most. The rules are laid out in a logical manner with examples all around. Some of the examples get a little confusing with adding and subtracting of dice, but the rest is well done. There is no art in the Apprentice rules. The rules come in a downloadable PDF which I had no problems printing out. Overall, the Sorcerer RPG: Apprentice Edition is worth a look see. A valuable addition to your eclectic RPG collection and possibly a good system for a campaign. The demon information could be helpful in any number of settings and the game system itself would be worth giving a try on an extended basis. The Sorcerer RPG: The Apprentice Edition can be found at: http://www.sorcerer-rpg.com . A nicely designed website for the game, and I have it on good authority that the first supplement for the Sorcerer RPG, called "Sorcerer and Sword", is due out soon in PDF format. I should note however that there are several references to drugs within the Apprentice rules. I found the drug angle on the game a bit uncomfortable for my tastes. However, as it is a part of modern culture, it is definitely a valid element within the game. Style: 3 (Average) Substance: 3 (Average)

Sorcerer RPG: The Apprentice Version