The Inside Scoop on Gaming

I haven't been a fan of White Wolf games for years now. Not since their World o' Darkness campaign setting sprouted legs and over-shadowed the really fun stuff – the games themselves. Still, every now and then I take a look at something new they've done, or a revised edition of something old they've done, just to see if they've really changed their tune like they say they have. What I've seen of what they've done over the last three years or so I can either take or leave, and, frankly, I leave a whole lot more than I can take. So, it's with a mightily jaundiced eye that I've decided to take a crap-shoot on ABERRANT and buy a copy. That said, let's have a look-see…

Right then…the cover. Nice artwork, though a little busy, which looks a great deal like the cover of a trade paperback graphic novel. Actually, it reminds me a lot of the collected edition of "Kingdom Come", so I thought this was a nice, genre-inspired touch. I purchased the paperback edition, so the "unusual" size format I've been reading about really helps convey the impression of a graphic novel. The title itself leaves me a little flat – it's a reference to the official setting, which is usually the very thing that causes me to leave, rather than take, a White Wolf game. I guess it's also an oblique reference to the TRINITY metaplot, which is a game I haven't looked at, so I'm also a little confused – I thought this was a game about superheroes. It's small nuts, though, so I'll simply plead ignorance and let it go.

Opening the book, I find 96 full-color pages of setting material. Rambling "sound-bite" text mixed with lots of pretty (and some not-so-pretty) pictures. Again, this is the stuff that sets me to yawnin' and scratchin', so I'll skim through it at random. I have to be honest – I'm disinclined to actually read it from start to finish, and I can't promise I ever will. Here are a couple of off-the-cuff impressions, though, for what they're worth:

* The comics pages are cluttered with text balloons; is it a comic book or flavor text? Why do some of the characters look like they're hiding behind the balloons?

* Some pretty cool lookin' characters…oh, and an obvious manqué of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. Hey, if the authors could get away with mentioning Microsoft and McDonald's by name, why couldn't they just call this guy Steve Austin? And "Stone Badass"? What does that even mean?

* Nova sports. Rightfully excluded from organised professional sports, they've turned to gladiatorial combat. Ha, ha. That'll larn 'em!

* General metaplot setting looks pretty dark, with super-egos pitted against/duped by a worldwide conspiracy. In one sense, I'm reminded of Warren Ellis' "StormWatch"/"The Authority" or "Kingdom Come", but I feel a little warmer and fuzzier inside when I think of "Marshal Law."

So, enough of the setting. I'll admit that I'm just not the one to ask about it.

The next section looks good, though – game mechanics. Boiled down to a mere six pages, it's the best summary of the Storyteller system that I've ever read. Even if you didn't bother reading the rest of the book, you could easily intuit how to play the game. Botches have been neatly fixed and there's a static target number now, for which I gather we can thank the development of TRINITY.

Character creation is where things are really beginning to shine. As with all White Wolf games, it's a nice, simple bit of modular point allocation. I don't think I've ever had such an easy time creating a superhero character. No calculator! Hmm…some parts of their setting are built into some of the Backgrounds, though, like Eufiber (you don't wanna know – it's apparently desirable to wear a fabric that was spun out of someone's ass) and the Node (a sort of power-conduit-tumor growing in your brain, which is useful in game mechanics, but ties you down to their storyline). If you want to run a campaign outside the official setting, you'll have to make adjustments to certain point allocations. Pain in the ass, but it's not the first time you've had to do that with a new game, right?

Oh, and the powers! Hoo! Mama! Simple as can be, and pretty darned comprehensive. This is the true meat and marrow of ABERRANT. I've had a predilection for gravity-warping superhero characters ever since I started having these bizarre falling-up hallucinations as a teenager, and there it is – Gravity Control! Not just simple control over making things heavier and lighter, but a whole array of associated, themed powers that can be bought at different levels for different effects. There are a number of such themed powers, which is such a pleasant relief from having to thumb through page after page of powers, trying to buy five separate effects for a single power. Granted, for some powers, you may still have to shop around to build exactly the character you had imagined, but these boys sure were on the right track.

But wait…what hell's this? Where's the damned kryptonite? That's right – there's no way to build inherent weaknesses into your superheroes. As the rules exist, the only way to give your character an Achilles' Heel is by Taint, another conceit of the official setting, which, frankly, isn't necessarily in keeping with many character concepts (especially if you're choosing to ignore the official game setting). There's also no provision for superheroes who derive their powers from devices, like Iron Man or Starman, though I suppose one could go ahead and create such gadget-based powers and just reduce their cost using the Taint rules. I'm afraid that, for the time being, all starting characters right now are just going to have to be competent, flawless and well adjusted.

You know, this is where the hair starts wriggling up my behind. From what I already hear, these "oversights" in character creation were not oversights at all and will be corrected in forthcoming releases in the ABERRANT line – new powers, Merits and Flaws, etc. appearing in a players' guide of some kind, just as White Wolf does with every product line. But that's the only thing that really blows about this game – rather than selling us a complete game that stands alone and can be expanded with optional books, we're being sold the entire product line. In their defense, the powers in ABERRANT are supposed to be based on concepts integral to the metaplot setting, which is what you get with most games you buy these days. Also, I find it hard to imagine how they could have reasonably made enough room for more powers, Merits and Flaws, but there's that whole 96 pages of full-color setting I wouldn't mind seeing gutted. Blasphemy, huh?

Okay, so rounding out the book are the usual White Wolf sections on "Dramatics", or how to use that wonderfully concise six-page distillation of the rules in an actual game and fluff up another 40 pages. Baically, more stuff to be gutted to make room for more superpowers, Merits and Flaws. However, I've always had a bit of a soft spot in my heart for the Storyteller mechanics, even if the probabilistic success curve generated is queer as a three dollar bill, so I'll cut the guys some slack. This is generally simple and pleasant stuff, and it covers all the necessary bases of adventuring in a world of superheroes. Not bad at all, but if you've ever read a single White Wolf game, you'll be skimming right on through until you get to the section on superheroic combat.

Now, the combat section is useful stuff, but it's a real bruiser of a system. What do I mean by "bruiser" of a system? Simple – you will quickly find yourself bruised, or worse, if you mix it up in combat. My wife – a notorious comics- and game-hater – was indulgent enough to help me playtest character creation and a bit of combat mechanics. For a sardonic and rank novice, she easily created her character, Howlah the Monkey Girl, and promptly kicked the ass of my character, Grav-Paddy the Levitating Irishman, in just a couple of rounds. Stunned him and accidentally throttled him to death her tail, to be precise. I realise that superheroes just live for that big fight scene, but it's lethal stuff in this game. Good thing it's so easy to write up new characters.

As for the rest of the book, there's some fiddly stuff about drugs, guns and…well, not much else, really. Mostly just lists for those who need lists.

So, with a mess of verbage scrolled past the top of your screen, what's the great shakes about this game? Frankly, it has to be the most playable superhero game I've ever seen – characters are created simply and logically, and powers appear to operate easily and sensibly (if somewhat dangerously) in actual play. But sneaking 'round the backside, what's not to like? Quite simply, an otherwise wonderful character creation system is marred by the omission of some very fundamental superhero concepts, namely character flaws, disadvantages and superpowered gadgets.

Personally, I'm pleasantly surprised at how much I've genuinely enjoyed a new White Wolf product – the first in a very long time – but should *you* buy ABERRANT? If you're interested in what looks like a fast-paced, rollicking good superhero game that doesn't get bogged down in niggling mechanics, and you're either creative enough to fill in the character generation holes yourself or patient enough to wait a couple of months for new books to be released (and forgiving enough to pay for them), then heck-yeah, you should buy this game. If'n you have an allergic reaction to your typical White Wolf metaplot setting and marketing strategy, or if the Storyteller system induces agitated fits, then I'll recommend you steer clear.

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

Aberrant
Author: Justin Achilli, Andrew Bates, Robert Hatch, et al Category: game Company/Publisher: White Wolf Game Studio Line: Aberrant Cost: $24.95 softcover / $29.95 hardover Page count: 286 ISBN: 1-56504-626-9 (softcover) / 1-56504-625-0 (hardcover) SKU: WW8500 Playtest Review by Ian Young on 08/03/99. Genre tags: Fantasy Science_fiction Modern_day	I haven't been a fan of White Wolf games for years now. Not since their World o' Darkness campaign setting sprouted legs and over-shadowed the really fun stuff – the games themselves. Still, every now and then I take a look at something new they've done, or a revised edition of something old they've done, just to see if they've really changed their tune like they say they have. What I've seen of what they've done over the last three years or so I can either take or leave, and, frankly, I leave a whole lot more than I can take. So, it's with a mightily jaundiced eye that I've decided to take a crap-shoot on ABERRANT and buy a copy. That said, let's have a look-see… Right then…the cover. Nice artwork, though a little busy, which looks a great deal like the cover of a trade paperback graphic novel. Actually, it reminds me a lot of the collected edition of "Kingdom Come", so I thought this was a nice, genre-inspired touch. I purchased the paperback edition, so the "unusual" size format I've been reading about really helps convey the impression of a graphic novel. The title itself leaves me a little flat – it's a reference to the official setting, which is usually the very thing that causes me to leave, rather than take, a White Wolf game. I guess it's also an oblique reference to the TRINITY metaplot, which is a game I haven't looked at, so I'm also a little confused – I thought this was a game about superheroes. It's small nuts, though, so I'll simply plead ignorance and let it go. Opening the book, I find 96 full-color pages of setting material. Rambling "sound-bite" text mixed with lots of pretty (and some not-so-pretty) pictures. Again, this is the stuff that sets me to yawnin' and scratchin', so I'll skim through it at random. I have to be honest – I'm disinclined to actually read it from start to finish, and I can't promise I ever will. Here are a couple of off-the-cuff impressions, though, for what they're worth: * The comics pages are cluttered with text balloons; is it a comic book or flavor text? Why do some of the characters look like they're hiding behind the balloons? * Some pretty cool lookin' characters…oh, and an obvious manqué of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. Hey, if the authors could get away with mentioning Microsoft and McDonald's by name, why couldn't they just call this guy Steve Austin? And "Stone Badass"? What does that even mean? * Nova sports. Rightfully excluded from organised professional sports, they've turned to gladiatorial combat. Ha, ha. That'll larn 'em! * General metaplot setting looks pretty dark, with super-egos pitted against/duped by a worldwide conspiracy. In one sense, I'm reminded of Warren Ellis' "StormWatch"/"The Authority" or "Kingdom Come", but I feel a little warmer and fuzzier inside when I think of "Marshal Law." So, enough of the setting. I'll admit that I'm just not the one to ask about it. The next section looks good, though – game mechanics. Boiled down to a mere six pages, it's the best summary of the Storyteller system that I've ever read. Even if you didn't bother reading the rest of the book, you could easily intuit how to play the game. Botches have been neatly fixed and there's a static target number now, for which I gather we can thank the development of TRINITY. Character creation is where things are really beginning to shine. As with all White Wolf games, it's a nice, simple bit of modular point allocation. I don't think I've ever had such an easy time creating a superhero character. No calculator! Hmm…some parts of their setting are built into some of the Backgrounds, though, like Eufiber (you don't wanna know – it's apparently desirable to wear a fabric that was spun out of someone's ass) and the Node (a sort of power-conduit-tumor growing in your brain, which is useful in game mechanics, but ties you down to their storyline). If you want to run a campaign outside the official setting, you'll have to make adjustments to certain point allocations. Pain in the ass, but it's not the first time you've had to do that with a new game, right? Oh, and the powers! Hoo! Mama! Simple as can be, and pretty darned comprehensive. This is the true meat and marrow of ABERRANT. I've had a predilection for gravity-warping superhero characters ever since I started having these bizarre falling-up hallucinations as a teenager, and there it is – Gravity Control! Not just simple control over making things heavier and lighter, but a whole array of associated, themed powers that can be bought at different levels for different effects. There are a number of such themed powers, which is such a pleasant relief from having to thumb through page after page of powers, trying to buy five separate effects for a single power. Granted, for some powers, you may still have to shop around to build exactly the character you had imagined, but these boys sure were on the right track. But wait…what hell's this? Where's the damned kryptonite? That's right – there's no way to build inherent weaknesses into your superheroes. As the rules exist, the only way to give your character an Achilles' Heel is by Taint, another conceit of the official setting, which, frankly, isn't necessarily in keeping with many character concepts (especially if you're choosing to ignore the official game setting). There's also no provision for superheroes who derive their powers from devices, like Iron Man or Starman, though I suppose one could go ahead and create such gadget-based powers and just reduce their cost using the Taint rules. I'm afraid that, for the time being, all starting characters right now are just going to have to be competent, flawless and well adjusted. You know, this is where the hair starts wriggling up my behind. From what I already hear, these "oversights" in character creation were not oversights at all and will be corrected in forthcoming releases in the ABERRANT line – new powers, Merits and Flaws, etc. appearing in a players' guide of some kind, just as White Wolf does with every product line. But that's the only thing that really blows about this game – rather than selling us a complete game that stands alone and can be expanded with optional books, we're being sold the entire product line. In their defense, the powers in ABERRANT are supposed to be based on concepts integral to the metaplot setting, which is what you get with most games you buy these days. Also, I find it hard to imagine how they could have reasonably made enough room for more powers, Merits and Flaws, but there's that whole 96 pages of full-color setting I wouldn't mind seeing gutted. Blasphemy, huh? Okay, so rounding out the book are the usual White Wolf sections on "Dramatics", or how to use that wonderfully concise six-page distillation of the rules in an actual game and fluff up another 40 pages. Baically, more stuff to be gutted to make room for more superpowers, Merits and Flaws. However, I've always had a bit of a soft spot in my heart for the Storyteller mechanics, even if the probabilistic success curve generated is queer as a three dollar bill, so I'll cut the guys some slack. This is generally simple and pleasant stuff, and it covers all the necessary bases of adventuring in a world of superheroes. Not bad at all, but if you've ever read a single White Wolf game, you'll be skimming right on through until you get to the section on superheroic combat. Now, the combat section is useful stuff, but it's a real bruiser of a system. What do I mean by "bruiser" of a system? Simple – you will quickly find yourself bruised, or worse, if you mix it up in combat. My wife – a notorious comics- and game-hater – was indulgent enough to help me playtest character creation and a bit of combat mechanics. For a sardonic and rank novice, she easily created her character, Howlah the Monkey Girl, and promptly kicked the ass of my character, Grav-Paddy the Levitating Irishman, in just a couple of rounds. Stunned him and accidentally throttled him to death her tail, to be precise. I realise that superheroes just live for that big fight scene, but it's lethal stuff in this game. Good thing it's so easy to write up new characters. As for the rest of the book, there's some fiddly stuff about drugs, guns and…well, not much else, really. Mostly just lists for those who need lists. So, with a mess of verbage scrolled past the top of your screen, what's the great shakes about this game? Frankly, it has to be the most playable superhero game I've ever seen – characters are created simply and logically, and powers appear to operate easily and sensibly (if somewhat dangerously) in actual play. But sneaking 'round the backside, what's not to like? Quite simply, an otherwise wonderful character creation system is marred by the omission of some very fundamental superhero concepts, namely character flaws, disadvantages and superpowered gadgets. Personally, I'm pleasantly surprised at how much I've genuinely enjoyed a new White Wolf product – the first in a very long time – but should you buy ABERRANT? If you're interested in what looks like a fast-paced, rollicking good superhero game that doesn't get bogged down in niggling mechanics, and you're either creative enough to fill in the character generation holes yourself or patient enough to wait a couple of months for new books to be released (and forgiving enough to pay for them), then heck-yeah, you should buy this game. If'n you have an allergic reaction to your typical White Wolf metaplot setting and marketing strategy, or if the Storyteller system induces agitated fits, then I'll recommend you steer clear. Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Aberrant