Secret Societies of Theah: Book Five: Los Vagos: The Faceless Champion
for 7th Sea
Alderac Entertainment Group
by Nancy Berman and Noah Dudley, with additional writing by Saul Dudley, Marcelo Figueroa, and Les Simpson
128 pages, perfect bound
$19.95
Grade: A-
Reviewed by: Lisa Padol
Fencing consultant: Joshua Kronengold
The latest in the secret society books for 7th Sea lives up to the high quality of its predecessors. This is a sourcebook for fans of movies like Zorro, as well as for GMs wanting to set campaigns in Castille. The masked Castillian hero, El Vago seems to be quite popular among 7th Sea players; in my short-lived 7th Sea campaign, my players were constantly asking when AEG would release the secret of El Vago. Well, here it is, and I am happy to say that it makes sense.
Los Vagos is organized in four parts, just as the previous secret society books have been. The difference is in scope: As the authors point out, the scope of this conspiracy is smaller than 7th Sea players have come to expect. While I enjoy the vast conspiracies, it is something of a relief to have a small, domestic conspiracy, with cozy and limited aims. This is not to say that Los Vagos has an easy job of it; as the authors caution, their goals of cleansing the church and driving out the Montaigne invaders are not likely to be fulfilled.
Several fictional vignettes run through Los Vagos, many of which are described from a different point of view in the rest of the book. I like getting the extra perspective. After the opening vignette, the authors reveal the history of El Vago. Where most of Theah's conspiracies are centuries, if not millennia old, Los Vagos can trace their heritage back less than a decade. It is not surprising to learn that Don Andres, close friend of Prince Javier, is El Vago. However, this is not the full truth. One sometimes wonders why people in movies act less intelligently then we would in their place. Los Vagos act quite intelligently: Any of their number can take on the role of El Vago, and many of them have. This is a lovely twist on the old conspiracy cliche, one allowing even the least experienced group of PCs to share in the glory of their hero. It also explains why the combined might and intelligence of the Inquisition has been unable to locate El Vago. All the suspects turned out to have alibis. How can Don Andres possibly be El Vago when he was seen together with the masked hero?
The organization of Los Vagos is described, as is the adversarial relationship between Los Vagos and the Inquisition. Next comes a consideration of the relationship between Los Vagos and other nations and societies of Theah. This is followed by several sample groups belonging to Los Vagos.
The second chapter describes the important NPCs of Los Vagos. The third chapter has mechanics. There are new advantages, and rules for creating cabals of Los Vagos. Two new swordsman schools are described. I had Josh look those over, and he pronounced them reasonably workable. The Hidden Dagger School is built on the Aldana School, and the points cost and abilities reflect this. However, he found it odd that one had to become a master to be able to use a hidden device in a pommel to do damage. He also suggests that anyone attempting to use the Exploit Weakness (Aldana) ability should find themselves at a mechanical disadvantage in a duel. The Gustavo Horseman School, despite the claim that it trains students to function on and off horseback, is really fairly useless off horseback. But both schools work, and both add the dramatic flair one expects from a conspiracy based on the Zorro movies and the Scarlet Pimpernel.
Next there are new skills, new advantages, and new equipment. These are followed by a couple of new rules, originally published in the Knights of the Rose and Cross secret society book. Next comes a section which considers the motives one might have for joining Los Vagos. This is useful for both players and GMs. After this is the GMs' only section, which has suggestions for campaigns involving Los Vagos, NPC stats and secrets, and an overview of the Inquisition and its strength.
The book also has a sample Los Vagos campaign. It could probably be completed in an evening, but if the GM has the skill and patience to flesh it out, she can get many weeks' worth of use out of it. The campaign material includes a map of the area. The book is rounded off with templates for Los Vagos. There is no index, and no large map of Castille.
Los Vagos is internally consistent, and delivers a lovely dose of swashbuckling heroism in the Zorro / Pimpernel vein. I recommend it to 7th Sea GMs, GMs interested in how conspiracies function in rpgs, and GMs interested in swashbuckling in general.
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