The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Introduction

This is a capsule review, though I playtested an earlier version of the game. Paladin is available for sale at anvilwerks.com, and is written by Clinton R. Nixon. I have exchanged email with Nixon, and admire his work. Furthermore, my copy of Paladin was free (because I was one of the game's playtesters). This was unexpected and appreciated.

Still, I'm going to do my best to review the game as objectively as possible, and will try to present the game's strengths and weaknesses objectively.

Paladin is described as "a variable-setting role-playing game in which you play holy warriors: men and women given extraordinary gifts by a benevolent supernatural force, gifts that they use to fight back evil while trying to maintain their own purity." This text is taken directly from the game, and I could not have phrased it so well myself.

It should be fairly obvious that this game would lend itself well to a number of settings, including Star Wars, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the Matrix. However, settings in which heroes are ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances (such as the X-Files) would not work as well. I can say from experience that Star Wars is an excellent setting for Paladin, but I have yet to tackle the game's default setting (described below).

This is my first review, so thank you for bearing with me.

Presentation

The game is a well-presented 26-page PDF file. It features an eerie color cover, courtesy of Gary "Hive" Simpson (cover artist for Little Fears), and several black-and-white interior illustrations (by Ben Morgan, Nicole Cardiff, Zak Arnston, and Raven Daegmorgan).

The layout is clean and easy to read. Chapter and section headings are clearly (and consistently) delineated, and tables are well-constructed and accessible.

There are six illustrations, and each one matches the surrounding text well. For instance, in the section on Dark Animus (covered under Mechanics), there is an image of a Paladin standing in a church. His hair is long, and partially covers his face. His eyes are darkened, and shadows give him an ominous, skeletal look. Behind him, stained-glass windows depict angels limned by sunlight, but he appears to be dismal and tormented. The other illustrations are equally appropriate, and well-executed.

The cover art is the only full-page image, and it is, again, a color illustration. It's worth printing in color, if that option is available to you. The cover depicts a female Paladin, armed with a sword, confronting a number of barely-visible demons (or equally sinister entities). She is illuminated, but they are cloaked in shadow. Their eyes and teeth, however, seem to glow in the darkness (a nice touch).

Paladin sports a comprehensive index, excellent examples of character creation and gameplay, and the PDF file itself contains copious Bookmarks, making navigation easy both in print and in electronic form.

The writing is devoid of typographical errors (at least, I could not find any), and the writing ranges from straightforward presentation of information to very flavorful descriptive text. Overall, the writing and art are above average, and both convey the feel of the game beautifully.

Mechanics

To create a character, you must answer a series of questions about your Paladin with a single word. For instance, you must ask, "What is my Paladin's strength?" These questions must be answered for the Flesh Attribute, and for the Light and Dark Attributes (positive and negative spiritual qualities, respectively).

For instance:
Flesh: Speed
Light: Courage
Dark: Fury

Therefore, my Paladin's strength, in terms of her Flesh (or her body), would be her speed. In terms of positive spiritual qualities, her strength comes from her courage. In terms of negative spiritual qualities, her strength stems from her fury.

In addition to the attributes generated with this system (there will be a total of 9 such attributes), you also determine skills and Animus for your character. Animus is "a supernatural energy that lives in and touches all things." It is divided into Light and Dark, and a player can earn Light or Dark Animus through various actions (by confronting enemies or situations heroically, for instance, or by breaking a Law of the Code).

The Code is a series of Laws governing the conduct of a Paladin. In one example, a Minor Law of the Code is "A member must never use his abilities for personal gain." Breaking this Law would earn a Paladin Dark Animus. However, there is a price for the use of Dark Animus.

Each of these Attributes gets a numerical score between 1 and 5. This number represents the number of 6-sided dice that can be rolled. To determine success or failure, addd up the number of dice over the target difficulty and count the successes.

Rather than explain all this in detail, I will leave the discussion of game mechanics alone and proceed to the setting. Basically, the game allows you to create a supernatural badass, but forces the player to consider the Paladin's actual character, or moral fiber, very carefully during character creation. Furthermore, a player whose Paladin acts like a heroic badass will gain points of Light Animus (necessary when one wants to use a Light Attribute, such as Courage), and a player whose Paladin crosses the line (like acting out of anger, like Skywalker did in Episode V) will gain points of Dark Animus (necessary when one wants to use a Dark Attribute, like Fury). Using these Light and Dark Attributes allows a Paladin to perform extraordinary actions. The system is clean and straightforward, and during playtesting, my group (all novices) got into it within minutes. It's intuitive and permits some great scenarios to unfold, and doesn't require one to look up rules every five minutes.

If you like focused character creation and gameplay, Paladin will work for you. If you don't, you probably won't enjoy Paladin.

Setting

The default setting for the game is called "The Sword of Heaven." It's a fantasy setting, taking place in the land of Castillia. The setting is briefly described, but presents GMs and players with a number of story hooks right off the bat.

Castillia is isolated from the rest of the world, which fell into darkness some years ago. Lately, demonic entities, witches, and the undead have become more and more common, and Castillia is on the verge of joining the rest of the world in that infernal darkness. The Sword of Heaven is a group of Paladins, dedicated to destroying the forces of Darkness. The setting includes a Code of conduct, as well as powers and additional rules.

Disadvantages

By reading the above, one can make a list of advantages and disadvantages, based on what one is looking for in a game. Paladin is not long, it is not bound, it does not feature pages and pages of charts and tables -- it is a 26-page PDF file with a total of 7 images, and the mechanics are focused. If this doesn't appeal to you, you won't want to buy the game.

Advantages

The production values are excellent. The layout is simple and elegant, the images are evocative and high-quality, and the mechanics fit the game's theme and mood perfectly. This is a game for those who want to play high-action Jedi, samurai, vampire slayers, or any number of other elite supernatural cadres (examples on the Anvilwerks forum include many more suggestions and ideas). The mechanics allow you to choose your path, whether you wish to walk the straight and narrow, stray from the path occasionally, or give in to the rage and hatred that embody Dark Animus.

For $5.95, the game is an excellent value.

Paladin
Paladin Capsule Review by Rafael Chandler on 05/09/02 Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 5 (Excellent!) A fantastic game of supernatural heroes who walk the line between Light and Dark. Product: Paladin Author: Clinton R. Nixon Category: RPG Company/Publisher: Anvilwerks Line: Cost: 5.95 Page count: 26 Year published: 2002 ISBN: SKU: Comp copy?: no Capsule Review by Rafael Chandler on 05/09/02 Genre tags: Fantasy Science Fiction Space Superhero	Introduction This is a capsule review, though I playtested an earlier version of the game. Paladin is available for sale at anvilwerks.com, and is written by Clinton R. Nixon. I have exchanged email with Nixon, and admire his work. Furthermore, my copy of Paladin was free (because I was one of the game's playtesters). This was unexpected and appreciated. Still, I'm going to do my best to review the game as objectively as possible, and will try to present the game's strengths and weaknesses objectively. Paladin is described as "a variable-setting role-playing game in which you play holy warriors: men and women given extraordinary gifts by a benevolent supernatural force, gifts that they use to fight back evil while trying to maintain their own purity." This text is taken directly from the game, and I could not have phrased it so well myself. It should be fairly obvious that this game would lend itself well to a number of settings, including Star Wars, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the Matrix. However, settings in which heroes are ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances (such as the X-Files) would not work as well. I can say from experience that Star Wars is an excellent setting for Paladin, but I have yet to tackle the game's default setting (described below). This is my first review, so thank you for bearing with me. Presentation The game is a well-presented 26-page PDF file. It features an eerie color cover, courtesy of Gary "Hive" Simpson (cover artist for Little Fears), and several black-and-white interior illustrations (by Ben Morgan, Nicole Cardiff, Zak Arnston, and Raven Daegmorgan). The layout is clean and easy to read. Chapter and section headings are clearly (and consistently) delineated, and tables are well-constructed and accessible. There are six illustrations, and each one matches the surrounding text well. For instance, in the section on Dark Animus (covered under Mechanics), there is an image of a Paladin standing in a church. His hair is long, and partially covers his face. His eyes are darkened, and shadows give him an ominous, skeletal look. Behind him, stained-glass windows depict angels limned by sunlight, but he appears to be dismal and tormented. The other illustrations are equally appropriate, and well-executed. The cover art is the only full-page image, and it is, again, a color illustration. It's worth printing in color, if that option is available to you. The cover depicts a female Paladin, armed with a sword, confronting a number of barely-visible demons (or equally sinister entities). She is illuminated, but they are cloaked in shadow. Their eyes and teeth, however, seem to glow in the darkness (a nice touch). Paladin sports a comprehensive index, excellent examples of character creation and gameplay, and the PDF file itself contains copious Bookmarks, making navigation easy both in print and in electronic form. The writing is devoid of typographical errors (at least, I could not find any), and the writing ranges from straightforward presentation of information to very flavorful descriptive text. Overall, the writing and art are above average, and both convey the feel of the game beautifully. Mechanics To create a character, you must answer a series of questions about your Paladin with a single word. For instance, you must ask, "What is my Paladin's strength?" These questions must be answered for the Flesh Attribute, and for the Light and Dark Attributes (positive and negative spiritual qualities, respectively). For instance: Flesh: Speed Light: Courage Dark: Fury Therefore, my Paladin's strength, in terms of her Flesh (or her body), would be her speed. In terms of positive spiritual qualities, her strength comes from her courage. In terms of negative spiritual qualities, her strength stems from her fury. In addition to the attributes generated with this system (there will be a total of 9 such attributes), you also determine skills and Animus for your character. Animus is "a supernatural energy that lives in and touches all things." It is divided into Light and Dark, and a player can earn Light or Dark Animus through various actions (by confronting enemies or situations heroically, for instance, or by breaking a Law of the Code). The Code is a series of Laws governing the conduct of a Paladin. In one example, a Minor Law of the Code is "A member must never use his abilities for personal gain." Breaking this Law would earn a Paladin Dark Animus. However, there is a price for the use of Dark Animus. Each of these Attributes gets a numerical score between 1 and 5. This number represents the number of 6-sided dice that can be rolled. To determine success or failure, addd up the number of dice over the target difficulty and count the successes. Rather than explain all this in detail, I will leave the discussion of game mechanics alone and proceed to the setting. Basically, the game allows you to create a supernatural badass, but forces the player to consider the Paladin's actual character, or moral fiber, very carefully during character creation. Furthermore, a player whose Paladin acts like a heroic badass will gain points of Light Animus (necessary when one wants to use a Light Attribute, such as Courage), and a player whose Paladin crosses the line (like acting out of anger, like Skywalker did in Episode V) will gain points of Dark Animus (necessary when one wants to use a Dark Attribute, like Fury). Using these Light and Dark Attributes allows a Paladin to perform extraordinary actions. The system is clean and straightforward, and during playtesting, my group (all novices) got into it within minutes. It's intuitive and permits some great scenarios to unfold, and doesn't require one to look up rules every five minutes. If you like focused character creation and gameplay, Paladin will work for you. If you don't, you probably won't enjoy Paladin. Setting The default setting for the game is called "The Sword of Heaven." It's a fantasy setting, taking place in the land of Castillia. The setting is briefly described, but presents GMs and players with a number of story hooks right off the bat. Castillia is isolated from the rest of the world, which fell into darkness some years ago. Lately, demonic entities, witches, and the undead have become more and more common, and Castillia is on the verge of joining the rest of the world in that infernal darkness. The Sword of Heaven is a group of Paladins, dedicated to destroying the forces of Darkness. The setting includes a Code of conduct, as well as powers and additional rules. Disadvantages By reading the above, one can make a list of advantages and disadvantages, based on what one is looking for in a game. Paladin is not long, it is not bound, it does not feature pages and pages of charts and tables -- it is a 26-page PDF file with a total of 7 images, and the mechanics are focused. If this doesn't appeal to you, you won't want to buy the game. Advantages The production values are excellent. The layout is simple and elegant, the images are evocative and high-quality, and the mechanics fit the game's theme and mood perfectly. This is a game for those who want to play high-action Jedi, samurai, vampire slayers, or any number of other elite supernatural cadres (examples on the Anvilwerks forum include many more suggestions and ideas). The mechanics allow you to choose your path, whether you wish to walk the straight and narrow, stray from the path occasionally, or give in to the rage and hatred that embody Dark Animus. For $5.95, the game is an excellent value.