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Sorcerer – An Intense Roleplaying Game by Adept Press (www.adept-press.com) Reviewed by Dav

Quick Note: I think Sorcerer is wonderful, this will definitely come through in the review. Be warned.

I just got my hands on this brand-new game that has been in existence for quite a few years. Paradoxical, I realize, but bear with me. Sorcerer has existed, quite successfully, in electronic format for some time, gathering what many would consider a cult following. It is unique in its approach to role-playing, and quite a bit of fun to play.

However, the game has recently “gone-to-print” (an often ominous phrase for many companies), and the review herein pertains to the newly minted book-form of the game.

Facts: The book is hardcover, with a beautiful dust jacket, which contains a disturbingly “normal” girl flanked by a very frightening demon. The book has a layout in terms of text and spacing that I can only refer to as “great”. For those of you thinking of delving into the print-side of this industry, I highly suggest using Sorcerer as a blueprint for your own game. It is easy-to-use, very little handling time, with an index and table of contents that are both great at tracking down those needed entries quickly and painlessly. And the art is very evocative of the text and mood.

Premise: The game is about Sorcerers (I bet this comes as a shock). You are indeed one of the few (which is a mutable trait, I’ll explain later) people in the world with the power to summon, bind, and utilize demons. Your character’s main conflict comes not only from outside factors, but with the personal turmoil associated with making such pacts or bindings while maintaining your own Humanity.

The Game: (Some facts, some opinions) Characters have a few attributes: Lore, Stamina, Will, and Cover. A brief description for each: Lore: How much you know about the “occult” (and I use the term loosely) Will: Your mental brawn. How smart you are, and how mentally resilient you are. Stamina: Strength, physical side, etc. Cover: What you do for a living (that is not being a Sorcerer). This could be mall security guard, student, prisoner, president, etc. This is your function in normal society.

These attributes are what you will need to play the game. Sounds simple, right? It is, but it isn’t. The game is mechanically very fluid. One roll determines your initiative, to-hit, and various other minor factors. However, the trait that really makes it fly is the fact that you can get bonus dice for “good description”.

For instance, “I hit,” does you nothing; however, “I draw my katana and charge the creature, unleashing a frenzied cry as a I take a flying leap through the air, planting my blade into its chest with a satisfying finality and collapse on top of the creature, letting my weight drive the blade to the hilt,” would garner at least one bonus die. You, by no means, must be this wordy to effectively gain a bonus. I am just a very verbally prolific bastard.

One of the unique traits for the game is the Kicker. This is the jumping off point for your character. This is what makes today different from most. A quick example of a Kicker is: “You go out drinking the night before and wake-up in a strange bedroom at what seems to be a hotel. Next to you is a partially opened briefcase with a messy pile of hundred-dollar bills. From your vantage point, and the trail of crumpled bills that litters the floor, you can tell that most of the money is missing.” THAT is a Kicker (a damn long one, but still a Kicker). In a recent game, my Kicker was that my daughter (I was divorced) was coming back into town to live with daddy because “mommy is a jerk”. Daddy, and his parasitical demon within his body, is a boozehound and womanizer with a penchant for going unshaven for days on end.

A different style of Kicker, but still a Kicker. You get the idea.

Your experience mechanic is tied to resolving your Kicker, and it serves as a way to bring the player’s own vision and goals for the game into the actual creation of the scenario itself. The GM now works with the Kicker and the story line to integrate them (or at least have a certain amount of resolvability (which is not a word) to both goals).

After making your character, you make your demon. Fun, simple, similar to character creation with the exception that Powers (the demon’s cool stuff) are chosen by the player with wonderful abandon. The need to balance a demon’s effective power-level with the utility for the game becomes paramount. A powerful demon is great, but your bind of the demon will be tenuous at best. A weak demon may not be so effective in some situations, but at least you can count on it to do what you need.

Demons also have Needs (which is a “sustenance” trait, without it they starve) and Desires (think of them as addictions). The Sorcerer is expected to fulfill both of these on a regular basis. These are often illegal (and I have yet to see someone play the stereotypical “I Need to kill” demon, which is good), but should always be a pain-in-the-ass (to some extent).

A trial version is available at www.sorcerer-rpg.com, which gives you a more in-depth look at mechanics. Accept, however, that these are sufficiently watered down for the general public (they are free, don’t complain).

Also available are “settings” for the game. The basic Sorcerer package has no true setting. While the default is “modern day, you are one of the few”, the game is easily mutable to become anything your mind can conceive. At the Sorcerer web-site, you can get settings for your game if you don’t want to make your own. Currently, Jared Sorensen, and myself both have a setting. Shortly on the horizon are settings from Clinton Nixon, Raven, and Ron Edwards. I will refrain from plugging anything and just say they are good.

Included in your book, however, are mutable definitions to all the attributes, as well as ways for GMs to be fiendishly clever in response to demons and players who abuse their playmates. Various online resources are given, as well as an excellent essay entitled “System Does Matter”, which is a very strong argument for the “how and why” for system design.

This game, for the simplicity of the mechanics, the richness of the character you create, and the wonderful mutability of the definitions makes this game endlessly entertaining. This book is easily one of the best games to hit the shelves in years. Get a copy. Get one now.

Important note (well, a note anyway): Adept Press will be at GenCon, for those of you going to the convention, your experience will be made better because of this fact.

Sorcerer
Sorcerer Playtest Review by Dav on 30/07/01 Style: 5 (Excellent!) Substance: 5 (Excellent!) An entirely unique take on the classic story of the demon-summoning magic weilder. A must for anyone of any walk of life. Product: Sorcerer Author: Ron Edwards Category: RPG Company/Publisher: Adpet Press Line: Cost: $20 Page count: about 130 Year published: 2001 ISBN: yes SKU: Comp copy?: no Playtest Review by Dav on 30/07/01 Genre tags: Other	Sorcerer – An Intense Roleplaying Game by Adept Press (www.adept-press.com) Reviewed by Dav Quick Note: I think Sorcerer is wonderful, this will definitely come through in the review. Be warned. I just got my hands on this brand-new game that has been in existence for quite a few years. Paradoxical, I realize, but bear with me. Sorcerer has existed, quite successfully, in electronic format for some time, gathering what many would consider a cult following. It is unique in its approach to role-playing, and quite a bit of fun to play. However, the game has recently “gone-to-print” (an often ominous phrase for many companies), and the review herein pertains to the newly minted book-form of the game. Facts: The book is hardcover, with a beautiful dust jacket, which contains a disturbingly “normal” girl flanked by a very frightening demon. The book has a layout in terms of text and spacing that I can only refer to as “great”. For those of you thinking of delving into the print-side of this industry, I highly suggest using Sorcerer as a blueprint for your own game. It is easy-to-use, very little handling time, with an index and table of contents that are both great at tracking down those needed entries quickly and painlessly. And the art is very evocative of the text and mood. Premise: The game is about Sorcerers (I bet this comes as a shock). You are indeed one of the few (which is a mutable trait, I’ll explain later) people in the world with the power to summon, bind, and utilize demons. Your character’s main conflict comes not only from outside factors, but with the personal turmoil associated with making such pacts or bindings while maintaining your own Humanity. The Game: (Some facts, some opinions) Characters have a few attributes: Lore, Stamina, Will, and Cover. A brief description for each: Lore: How much you know about the “occult” (and I use the term loosely) Will: Your mental brawn. How smart you are, and how mentally resilient you are. Stamina: Strength, physical side, etc. Cover: What you do for a living (that is not being a Sorcerer). This could be mall security guard, student, prisoner, president, etc. This is your function in normal society. These attributes are what you will need to play the game. Sounds simple, right? It is, but it isn’t. The game is mechanically very fluid. One roll determines your initiative, to-hit, and various other minor factors. However, the trait that really makes it fly is the fact that you can get bonus dice for “good description”. For instance, “I hit,” does you nothing; however, “I draw my katana and charge the creature, unleashing a frenzied cry as a I take a flying leap through the air, planting my blade into its chest with a satisfying finality and collapse on top of the creature, letting my weight drive the blade to the hilt,” would garner at least one bonus die. You, by no means, must be this wordy to effectively gain a bonus. I am just a very verbally prolific bastard. One of the unique traits for the game is the Kicker. This is the jumping off point for your character. This is what makes today different from most. A quick example of a Kicker is: “You go out drinking the night before and wake-up in a strange bedroom at what seems to be a hotel. Next to you is a partially opened briefcase with a messy pile of hundred-dollar bills. From your vantage point, and the trail of crumpled bills that litters the floor, you can tell that most of the money is missing.” THAT is a Kicker (a damn long one, but still a Kicker). In a recent game, my Kicker was that my daughter (I was divorced) was coming back into town to live with daddy because “mommy is a jerk”. Daddy, and his parasitical demon within his body, is a boozehound and womanizer with a penchant for going unshaven for days on end. A different style of Kicker, but still a Kicker. You get the idea. Your experience mechanic is tied to resolving your Kicker, and it serves as a way to bring the player’s own vision and goals for the game into the actual creation of the scenario itself. The GM now works with the Kicker and the story line to integrate them (or at least have a certain amount of resolvability (which is not a word) to both goals). After making your character, you make your demon. Fun, simple, similar to character creation with the exception that Powers (the demon’s cool stuff) are chosen by the player with wonderful abandon. The need to balance a demon’s effective power-level with the utility for the game becomes paramount. A powerful demon is great, but your bind of the demon will be tenuous at best. A weak demon may not be so effective in some situations, but at least you can count on it to do what you need. Demons also have Needs (which is a “sustenance” trait, without it they starve) and Desires (think of them as addictions). The Sorcerer is expected to fulfill both of these on a regular basis. These are often illegal (and I have yet to see someone play the stereotypical “I Need to kill” demon, which is good), but should always be a pain-in-the-ass (to some extent). A trial version is available at www.sorcerer-rpg.com, which gives you a more in-depth look at mechanics. Accept, however, that these are sufficiently watered down for the general public (they are free, don’t complain). Also available are “settings” for the game. The basic Sorcerer package has no true setting. While the default is “modern day, you are one of the few”, the game is easily mutable to become anything your mind can conceive. At the Sorcerer web-site, you can get settings for your game if you don’t want to make your own. Currently, Jared Sorensen, and myself both have a setting. Shortly on the horizon are settings from Clinton Nixon, Raven, and Ron Edwards. I will refrain from plugging anything and just say they are good. Included in your book, however, are mutable definitions to all the attributes, as well as ways for GMs to be fiendishly clever in response to demons and players who abuse their playmates. Various online resources are given, as well as an excellent essay entitled “System Does Matter”, which is a very strong argument for the “how and why” for system design. This game, for the simplicity of the mechanics, the richness of the character you create, and the wonderful mutability of the definitions makes this game endlessly entertaining. This book is easily one of the best games to hit the shelves in years. Get a copy. Get one now. Important note (well, a note anyway): Adept Press will be at GenCon, for those of you going to the convention, your experience will be made better because of this fact.