Author: Book One by John Wick with additional writing by Cris Dornaus, Jim Pinto, Rob Vaux, Jennifer Wick, and Ray Yand; Book Two by Rob Vaux; Book Three by Kevin Wilson
Category: game
Company/Publisher: Alderac Entertainment Group
Line: 7th Sea
Cost: 19.95 each
Page count: 128 pages, perfect bound for Books One and Two; 112 pages, perfect bound for Book Three
Playtest Review by Lisa Padol on 10/24/00.

Genre tags: Fantasy Historical Horror Espionage Conspiracy

Overall Grade for All Three: B+

Reviewed by: Lisa Padol

Playtesters: Fred Herman, Avram Grumer, Joshua Kronengold, Matt Stevens

[Note: Only the Rilasciare book was playtested.]

The first three sourcebooks describing the secret societies that operate behind the scenes in the world of Theah are impressively thorough. They deliver a lot of good material of the type that other companies promise, but then defer until the -next- book. They also deliver a fair amount of annoying material. Ironically, the good material and the annoying material are sometimes identical.

All three books are graced with vignettes and with decent to excellent non-bimbo art. All lack an index. All are divided into four sections. The public history of each society is followed by the secret history. Next comes a description of the group's relationship with the nations and secret societies of Theah, and a description of every major base of operations for the group. This is followed by descriptions of the major NPCs of the organization, complete with stats and illustrations. Mechanics come next, including the mechanics of creating a new chapter of the secret society, followed, in the Rilasciare and Kreuzritter books, by secrets for the GM. Also, all three societies have their own secret methods of communication, methods which are primitive by modern standards, but which fit beautifully into the world of 7th Sea.

All three sourcebooks completely re-define the secret societies they covered. This is what makes the books both cool and frustrating. I like the layers the books reveal. At the same time, players may discover that they got something quite different than they intended when they paid points to create PCs who belong to these societies based on the information available to them. This runs the danger of leaving frustrated players with PCs in an untenable position, ruining everyone's fun.

Also, while I like the unfolding story of the secrets behind sorcery, I note that all three societies covered thus far exist to fight sorcery. This seems a bit excessive, especially considering that players may be expecting something completely different and may have unwittingly created a PC whose goals are incompatible with those of his society's. And while it is amusing to see the irony of different groups, each with their own piece of the puzzle of sorcery, I do hope future secret societies will have other goals. Also, I suspect that far too many gaming groups will have players who know the entire scoop on magic. The fact that the secret history is not in the GM's-eyes-only section is likely to exacerbate the situation. Nevertheless, I applaud AEG for revealing huge secrets in the books, including some introduced in those same books that I was sure would not be revealed until next year.

All books have advice for GMs and players on integrating members of the secret societies into groups, and on running a campaign composed entirely of members of one secret society. The Rilasciare and Kreuzritter books are especially good on these topics. In the Rilasciare book, the concept of Vero Coraggio is used to explain why one Rilasciare PC need not -- indeed should not -- turn on the rest of the group. Kreuzritter players are given this excellent advice, "Remember that it's not fair to expect the rest of the players to roleplay their Heroes incorrectly so that you can play yours the way you want". If playing in-character wrecks everyone's fun, change the character. The author suggests that, rather than playing PCs who alienate themselves from everyone around them, players make the different, but equally logical choice to play their PCs as clinging to the rest of the group, not wanting to lose hard-won friends. This makes for better party dynamics.

One of my players referred to this as the section where players are told why they shouldn't do the things they created their PC to do. I see his point, and it is an issue in 7th Sea, but the sections are necessary. Too often, one player can ruin the fun of the rest, using the excuse that this is "in character" for the PC. This is an issue AEG has been addressing from the moment 7th Sea came out, trying to point out ways to have your fun while still allowing fellow gamers to have theirs as well. Better still, much of the advice on this topic also discusses creating PCs that are more well-rounded and interesting than the umpty-umpth lone wolf who acts against the party because "that's what the character would do."

For their part, GMs are told to avoid placing Kreuzritter PCs in situations where they would logically have to turn on the other PCs. In a pinch, the author reminds them that they can disallow Kreuzritter PCs. And, of course, there is always the option of a group composed entirely of Kreuzritter. The author also gives good general advice, for example, pointing out that GMs should not undercut a player's attempt to have a PC die dramatically, snatching some form of victory from the jaws of defeat. Just as players should not insist on an interpretation of "in character" that ruins everyone else's fun, GMs should not ruin players, fun by sticking to their idea of what the script should be.

The Rose and Cross book was written before the pattern for the Secret Society books was quite defined. Thus, in some ways, it is the most "primitive" of the three books. It is also the one I read last, due to an odd chain of circumstances.

The Knight of the Rose and Cross are partly based on the Templars, and ever-popular group with conspiracy theorists and RPG authors. The Kreuzritter sourcebook, the strongest and most recent of the three, also uses the Templars as inspiration, and I think it makes better use of the material.

Moreover, the Rose and Cross book lacks some of the features I had come to expect from the secret society books. There are no hidden NPC secrets in the GM section, and there is no explanation of how the Knights of the Rose and Cross manages to foil the infiltration techniques of the Rilasciare and Kreuzritter. There was a section on where John Wick got the idea for the Knights. It was interesting, infuriating, annoying, and inspiring. (And, John? When I watch the news, there's usually a segment not on the cute puppy, but on one of those quiet heroes you praise. Honest.) It was utterly devoid of the recognition of shades of gray that characterizes the other two books.

And yet, this idealistic book acknowledges that the idealistic group it portrays has an inner circle capable of hidden ruthlessness that would give pause to all but the most fanatical Rilasciare and Kreuzritter. And while GMs are cautioned about allowing PCs to be members of this inner circle, there is advice about how to pull this off, if that is what the GM and the players want.

Knights of the Rose and Cross also has a section its more sophisticated cousins lack. Each secret society book reveals hidden secrets, not mere hints, but actual surprises that re-define what the society is. Inevitably, this will cause continuity problems for groups with PC members of the society created before the GM added the new material to her campaign. Knights of the Rose and Cross is the only book that considers the problem and comes up with a way to integrate the new material (in this case, how Rose and Cross PCs suddenly gained a new ability) into previously existing campaigns.

It is a pity this was not done for the Rilasciare book, which badly needed it. One of my players has a Rilasciare PC who is also an Avalon Glamour mage. After reading the Rilasciare book, I re-read the passages on the Rilasciare in the Players' and GM's book, looking for any statement that sorcerers could not join the Rilasciare. Not only did I not find one; I also learned that the Players' book barely mentions sorcery as a target of the organization. The GMs' guide mentions it, but says that "Dominion", as in dominion over others, is perhaps a greater enemy. It is only when I read the Rilasciare book, which came out months later, that I learned that the group allows no sorcerers in. Period. And no PCs with sorcery are allowed to join the Rilasciare. Nor is there any advice given on what to do if you have been playing with a Rilasciare sorcerer for some time.

Insult is added to injury: One of the NPC Rilasciare is a sorcerer. But he's the only one. You mustn't allow your PCs such privileges. Players and GMs must realize that their desires take a back seat to Official NPCs and plotlines.

Is being a Rilasciare sorcerer so different from being a Rilasciare noble? Nobles join because they believe in the rightness of the Rilasciare cause. They believe that it is worth losing their position to help society by achieving the Rilasciare goals. Fair enough. Why not sorcerers, most of whom are nobles as well? The Rilasciare recognize that sorcerers too have Vero Corragio, and not all Rilasciare have the same loathing for sorcerers. Consider the sole NPC Rilasciare sorcerer. He "respects the Rilasciare's opposition to sorcery and wants to help their cause." Why can't a PC feel that way?

Even if one says that the Rilasciare will kill any sorcerous infiltrators on general principles, I don't see a problem with exceptional cases who, like the NPC sorcerer, keep their abilities secret. And 7th Sea PCs are supposed to be the heroic exceptions to the rules.

Given how Fred plays Keith, his Rilasciare PC, I decided that Keith had joined the organization before he knew their attitude on sorcery, and kept his mouth shut once he found out. He still doesn't know the big Rilasciare secret.

The annoying authorial double standard on sorcery mars what is otherwise an excellent how-to manual for GMs who want to create a hidden conspiracy. In this, it is similar to the magnificent Merchant's Guide to Rokugan, but here, the conspiracy is far less powerful. The focus is not on top levels, but organization. I got a clear sense of how the organization functions and how it interacts with other groups, which is, after all, the point of doing this sourcebook.

When I first read the book, I was startled to learn that the Rilasciare can identify sorcerers, albeit with some effort. I knew that fate lashes probably mark most Fate Witches of significant power, but was baffled about the reference to the "bloody stains on every Porte mage's hands" and to the one Rilasciare with Porte who "powders his hands to hide their blood red color". Rob Vaux and D. J. Trindle pointed out that this is, in fact, established in the core rule books (see pages 67 and 192 of the GM's Guide), along with signs for the other types of sorcery (see pages 66 and 203-212 of the Players' Guide). So the information is there, but you have to have a sharp eye to spot it, as Mr. Vaux acknowledged. On a more whimsical note, Joshua wondered if Montaigne nobles who are not sorcerers powder their hands red so that it looks as if they are, and if any of them have been killed by sorcerer-hunting Rilasciare.

The Rilasciare sourcebook reveals the secret origins of much of Thean sorcery, and it is also where one can learn about the deadly Zerstorung magic of Eisen. And, my, is it deadly! While the author advises against allowing PCs with this ability, complete mechanics are provided, along with a plot seed for parties with a single member who discovers she has this dangerous magic, or with parties who know an NPC who turns out to have such magic. I approve, and I also grudgingly admit that the information on Zerstorung belongs here, not in the core book or in the Eisen book. It is so tied to the history of the Rilasciare that it would not fit as well elsewhere.

The Kreuzritter book also has a new kind of magic, one which Kreuzritter PCs have access to, along with some unusual artifacts. Mechanics for both are provided. A distinction is drawn between shamanism and sorcery that doubtless ties into the secrets behind sorcery. However, I do not understand why Avalon Glamour magic, Ussuran Pyreyem or Vesten Laerdom count as sorcery, rather than shamanism. Is this because that is what the core books say or because of a clever plot to be revealed later? And is the Nacht sorcery of the Kreuzritter passed down to their descendants?

The Kreuzritter book gives some consideration to lands outside or the Seven Nations, referring to the Crescent Empire and the Kanu. The Kanu were discussed in Crow's Nest #0, but this material should be reprinted in a more accessible form. Also, I hope a Crescent sourcebook is in the works. Yes, GMs can invent their own, but if they wish to keep the possibility of using the Official version, they're stuck.

I was delighted to see that the Kreuzritter book has some excellent female heroes. I was also pleased to see the acknowledgement of the dark side of heroism in Die Kreuzritter. The author treads a careful line here, showing not only the organization's understandable ruthlessness, but also those moments where it breaks down, as when the Kreuzritter, quite sensibly, refuse to murder a child who might remember some of their secrets.

There is material considering whether Kreuzritter are truly evil. While an attempt is made to show that they really fit into the dopey black-and-white model of the core rulebooks, the fact is that they don't. These are people committed to being willing to perform atrocities for the greater good' and, as the author eloquently points out, they -know- that they will suffer eternal damnation for their deeds.

While the Kreuzritter book is the strongest, all three secret society books do a good job of revealing the inner workings of their respective groups. I am not sure how well the total overhaul of the societies will work for individual gamers, and I would like to have seen some more of the suggestions for smooth integration of the new material, like the ones in the Rose and Cross book. Nevertheless, the books are worth the asking price for 7th Sea GMs, and they are worth at least a look from any GM considering running any kind of game with a hidden conspiracy.

Addendum: Rob Vaux and D. J. Trindle clarified a couple of points about sorcery. Sorcery comes from an external source, whether that is Matushka or the Sidhe, and apparently, Laerdom runes come from such a source. Shamanism comes from within. As for Nacht sorcery, although it can be acquired through other means than heredity, Trindle, at least, would rule that it is indeed passed down to one's descendants. This is to be open to GM interpretation, however, and I advise GMs to give the matter some thought, for it opens a complicated can of worms, given the nature of Die Kreuzritter.

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