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The Short Version

Bad fortune put this book near the bottom of the stack of games I wanted to review. Systems Failure is a standout example of a post-apocalyptic roleplaying game. Rather than employ the usual themes of desperation and survival, the game emphasizes the one thing most games of this type lack: hope. Characters aren't the usual gun-toting, out-for-themselves, stone-cold killers found in most other such settings. They are freedom fighters, tearing up the alien invaders in the name of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. Add in a healthy dose of satire and you get one of the better settings for the post-apocalyptic genre out there. Don't believe me? Pick up a copy and see for yourself. It costs less than most any Main Book you'll find.

The Long Version

Systems Failure is billed as "non-stop, blood and guts action. A story of loss, rebirth, and courage. Of self-sacrifice, patriotism, and heroics." The game set nine years after the Y2K Bug apparently wiped out all the electronics on Earth. But something more sinister is going on behind the scenes. Alien creatures with the ability to transform themselves into pure electricity have come to Earth, taking advantage of the Y2K problem to jump into Earth's electrical grids and data networks. As the aliens shut down the world one network at a time, Earth was thrown into chaos. Now, nine years after The Meltdown, the last real Americans know who their enemy is, and its time for a bit of payback. The Great American Bug Hunt is on.

The opening six pages are a series of vignettes set in the Systems Failure world intended to introduce the reader to the setting. 99% of it is good, though there is a short piece where the bugs talk that doesn't seem to gel with the rest of the setting. This appears to be foreshadowing of a coming setting twist in a future book, given a reference to the material later in the book, but for now its just an unanswered question.

Palladium rule set comes next. Each game Palladium puts out has slight changes based on the setting. The variations from the normal set here are that each character gets a background skill set, representing skills the character had before the Meltdown. Skills use a combination of skill programs and OCCs, similar to Ninjas and Superspies. This time, though, characters get OCC Related and Secondary skills in the Rifts format. Characters wind up with a respectable amount of skills, enough to get the job done without cluttering up the character sheet too much.

Hand to Hand Combat is the new Palladium format as found in Heroes 2nd, with expanded moves and simple forms. The hand to hand system still only allow one to choose new kicks, with nothing about the punches or holds. Modern weapon combat is expanded on here from Palladium's norm, giving different damage multipliers and attack costs based on clip size. Combat ranges are also taken into account. Mercifully, the vehicle combat rules are missing, even though vehicle combat most likely will take place at some point in a Systems Failure campaign. Palladium's cross between cinematic and miniatures combat works for the gritty combat-intensive aspects of the setting, though a slightly slicker hand-to-hand system might be preferred over what is here.

Psionics come in next. There doesn't really seem to be any solid reason for why psionics are included in this game. There's no big psionic awakening, no Coming of the Rifts, no mention of an Darwinistic leap to help humans fend off the alien invaders, nothing. But, psionics seem to be a standard post-apocalyptic feature so here they are. They can provide a somewhat different feel to the game than a standard bug-hunt campaign, but don't form an integral part of the game. Removing them is quick and easy. On the other hand, they don't unbalance the game, either. Not a real problem, they just don't seem to fit seamlessly into the world.

A variety of bugs are listed. At first glance, the bugs seem overly powerful, having a variety of natural powers which should easily overwhelm the much weaker human characters. This impression dies right along with the first bug the assault-rifle packing players come up against. Quick-witted, or at least experienced, players shouldn't have any trouble taking an average bug down with a handgun. And if you don't want to put that kind of effort into strategy, there's always machine-guns.

OCCs for humans cover a range of occupations. Most are recognizable character archetypes, but with enough twist to make them uniquely Systems Failure character classes. Eggheads, Exterminators, Splatterpunks, Wackos, and Peacekeepers... each walk the fine line between serious post-apocalypse roleplaying and good-natured ribbing at the survivalist mentality.

A quick timeline and atlas come next, providing an excellent overview of the post-Meltdown world. The majority of the material revolves around the United States, though Canada and Mexico get brief mention. Major bug hunting (and other occupations) organizations follow up that, along with campaign ideas and crossover notes for other Palladium games. The background material is good, if somewhat generalized, but the notes for translating the Bugs into other games and vice-versus seem out of place. They are good to have, in case you really want to do either, but for the most part, out-of-setting characters will either be out-of-whack with the power level of the game (one of my fellow player's Ninjas and Superspies martial artist took down an exceptionally tough Bug in unarmed combat) and taking the Bugs elsewhere basically translates them into just another alien or supernatural invader. Bugs should probably remain in Systems Failure against Systems Failure characters.

Equipment follows, featuring the usual 20th century equipment list from Heroes 2nd and Ninjas and Superspies, and a few pages of technology developed from research into the Bugs. At 12 pieces, not counting the alien tech and flame-throwers, the weapons list is rather thin. Palladium books normally have at least 20 guns, and a guns-a-blazin' setting like this should have even more than usual. Weapon damages by bullet caliber are listed, though, allowing one to fake any extra weapons that the players might want. You could also use Palladium's Compendium of Modern Weapons or one of their other games for filling out the gun lists. Once again, not a real problem, just something that does not work seamlessly. On the upshot, there are a number of post-1993 weapons here. Since this book hit the stands after Heroes GM's Guide, its possible that new weapons will become the norm in new books.

Layout is the usual Palladium fare. Fortunately, information that belongs together stays together. Combat is all in one place, character types are all in one place, background information is mostly all in one place... This may not seem like much of a point, but page flipping is a constant problem in most of Palladium's works. Here, as in Bill Coffin's other books, that page turning aspect is reduced significantly.

Interior art is all appropriate to the genre and unique to the book, but is a mixed bag when in comes to working with the substance of the game. Some shots do little but break up the text, others depict what the text is talking about, others are just amusing. The majority of it seems to help the text along, but not all of it.

Overall, the game works and works well for what it is, a satirical post-apocalyptic game. The only real problem with it is convincing your group to run a game based on the Y2K Bug, and maybe the mysterious existence of psychic powers in humans. Its a game of monster-hunting gun-bunnies and post-apocalyptic survival with enough political satire, humor ("Hoosier Daddy" power armor, "The Duke" energy support cannon, "Crater Maker" anti-Bug mortar... the list goes on), and potential back-story to keep it from being Doom in RPG format. Plus, the book only runs $12.95, for which you get a complete Palladium role-playing game. Great fun and one of the more original post-apocalyptic settings I've seen.

Systems Failure
Systems Failure Capsule Review by FlashFire on 11/06/01 Style: 3 (Average) Substance: 5 (Excellent!) Post-apocalypse Earth: Its not all gloom and doom anymore. Product: Systems Failure Author: Bill Coffin Category: RPG Company/Publisher: Palladium Books Line: Systems Failure Cost: $12.95 Page count: 143 Year published: 1999 ISBN: 1-57457-038-2 SKU: Comp copy?: no Capsule Review by FlashFire on 11/06/01 Genre tags: Science Fiction Post-apocalyse	The Short Version Bad fortune put this book near the bottom of the stack of games I wanted to review. Systems Failure is a standout example of a post-apocalyptic roleplaying game. Rather than employ the usual themes of desperation and survival, the game emphasizes the one thing most games of this type lack: hope. Characters aren't the usual gun-toting, out-for-themselves, stone-cold killers found in most other such settings. They are freedom fighters, tearing up the alien invaders in the name of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. Add in a healthy dose of satire and you get one of the better settings for the post-apocalyptic genre out there. Don't believe me? Pick up a copy and see for yourself. It costs less than most any Main Book you'll find. The Long Version Systems Failure is billed as "non-stop, blood and guts action. A story of loss, rebirth, and courage. Of self-sacrifice, patriotism, and heroics." The game set nine years after the Y2K Bug apparently wiped out all the electronics on Earth. But something more sinister is going on behind the scenes. Alien creatures with the ability to transform themselves into pure electricity have come to Earth, taking advantage of the Y2K problem to jump into Earth's electrical grids and data networks. As the aliens shut down the world one network at a time, Earth was thrown into chaos. Now, nine years after The Meltdown, the last real Americans know who their enemy is, and its time for a bit of payback. The Great American Bug Hunt is on. The opening six pages are a series of vignettes set in the Systems Failure world intended to introduce the reader to the setting. 99% of it is good, though there is a short piece where the bugs talk that doesn't seem to gel with the rest of the setting. This appears to be foreshadowing of a coming setting twist in a future book, given a reference to the material later in the book, but for now its just an unanswered question. Palladium rule set comes next. Each game Palladium puts out has slight changes based on the setting. The variations from the normal set here are that each character gets a background skill set, representing skills the character had before the Meltdown. Skills use a combination of skill programs and OCCs, similar to Ninjas and Superspies. This time, though, characters get OCC Related and Secondary skills in the Rifts format. Characters wind up with a respectable amount of skills, enough to get the job done without cluttering up the character sheet too much. Hand to Hand Combat is the new Palladium format as found in Heroes 2nd, with expanded moves and simple forms. The hand to hand system still only allow one to choose new kicks, with nothing about the punches or holds. Modern weapon combat is expanded on here from Palladium's norm, giving different damage multipliers and attack costs based on clip size. Combat ranges are also taken into account. Mercifully, the vehicle combat rules are missing, even though vehicle combat most likely will take place at some point in a Systems Failure campaign. Palladium's cross between cinematic and miniatures combat works for the gritty combat-intensive aspects of the setting, though a slightly slicker hand-to-hand system might be preferred over what is here. Psionics come in next. There doesn't really seem to be any solid reason for why psionics are included in this game. There's no big psionic awakening, no Coming of the Rifts, no mention of an Darwinistic leap to help humans fend off the alien invaders, nothing. But, psionics seem to be a standard post-apocalyptic feature so here they are. They can provide a somewhat different feel to the game than a standard bug-hunt campaign, but don't form an integral part of the game. Removing them is quick and easy. On the other hand, they don't unbalance the game, either. Not a real problem, they just don't seem to fit seamlessly into the world. A variety of bugs are listed. At first glance, the bugs seem overly powerful, having a variety of natural powers which should easily overwhelm the much weaker human characters. This impression dies right along with the first bug the assault-rifle packing players come up against. Quick-witted, or at least experienced, players shouldn't have any trouble taking an average bug down with a handgun. And if you don't want to put that kind of effort into strategy, there's always machine-guns. OCCs for humans cover a range of occupations. Most are recognizable character archetypes, but with enough twist to make them uniquely Systems Failure character classes. Eggheads, Exterminators, Splatterpunks, Wackos, and Peacekeepers... each walk the fine line between serious post-apocalypse roleplaying and good-natured ribbing at the survivalist mentality. A quick timeline and atlas come next, providing an excellent overview of the post-Meltdown world. The majority of the material revolves around the United States, though Canada and Mexico get brief mention. Major bug hunting (and other occupations) organizations follow up that, along with campaign ideas and crossover notes for other Palladium games. The background material is good, if somewhat generalized, but the notes for translating the Bugs into other games and vice-versus seem out of place. They are good to have, in case you really want to do either, but for the most part, out-of-setting characters will either be out-of-whack with the power level of the game (one of my fellow player's Ninjas and Superspies martial artist took down an exceptionally tough Bug in unarmed combat) and taking the Bugs elsewhere basically translates them into just another alien or supernatural invader. Bugs should probably remain in Systems Failure against Systems Failure characters. Equipment follows, featuring the usual 20th century equipment list from Heroes 2nd and Ninjas and Superspies, and a few pages of technology developed from research into the Bugs. At 12 pieces, not counting the alien tech and flame-throwers, the weapons list is rather thin. Palladium books normally have at least 20 guns, and a guns-a-blazin' setting like this should have even more than usual. Weapon damages by bullet caliber are listed, though, allowing one to fake any extra weapons that the players might want. You could also use Palladium's Compendium of Modern Weapons or one of their other games for filling out the gun lists. Once again, not a real problem, just something that does not work seamlessly. On the upshot, there are a number of post-1993 weapons here. Since this book hit the stands after Heroes GM's Guide, its possible that new weapons will become the norm in new books. Layout is the usual Palladium fare. Fortunately, information that belongs together stays together. Combat is all in one place, character types are all in one place, background information is mostly all in one place... This may not seem like much of a point, but page flipping is a constant problem in most of Palladium's works. Here, as in Bill Coffin's other books, that page turning aspect is reduced significantly. Interior art is all appropriate to the genre and unique to the book, but is a mixed bag when in comes to working with the substance of the game. Some shots do little but break up the text, others depict what the text is talking about, others are just amusing. The majority of it seems to help the text along, but not all of it. Overall, the game works and works well for what it is, a satirical post-apocalyptic game. The only real problem with it is convincing your group to run a game based on the Y2K Bug, and maybe the mysterious existence of psychic powers in humans. Its a game of monster-hunting gun-bunnies and post-apocalyptic survival with enough political satire, humor ("Hoosier Daddy" power armor, "The Duke" energy support cannon, "Crater Maker" anti-Bug mortar... the list goes on), and potential back-story to keep it from being Doom in RPG format. Plus, the book only runs $12.95, for which you get a complete Palladium role-playing game. Great fun and one of the more original post-apocalyptic settings I've seen.