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OGL Horror
sets itself up as a themed book that captures the essence of one genre,
here the horror genre, and presents a roleplaying game based on the
[d20] Modern System Reference Document. Printed in full color, OGL Horror
could have come across better as a genre supplement or accessory than
a complete roleplaying game.
OGL Horror
is a hard book to pin down. On one hand, the genre hasn't been too well
represented under the d20 system rule set before (in number of products,
not quality of products, mind you). So, OGL Horror is one of maybe two
other books that takes the genre by the jugular and goes for the gusto
in trying to break down the horror into a palatable game.
Under
the weight of the D20 Modern rule set, however, the genre begins to
falter. With the underlying niceness of the rule set, characters can
do more in a horror game than they could if they were just collecting
skill points and loosing sanity. Feats are granted at every few levels,
making characters better suited to face the terror than more apt to
run away. ("I've got a new firearm feat I'd love to try out on
a few werewolves," or some such thing.) The rule set also allows
for things to be better quantified, identified and fought (quickly turning
into the "its-only-a-demon-child-so-its-only-got-a-few-hit-dice"
mentality).
On the
other hand, the book is undercut by its presentation of the rule set.
OGL Horror banks on the Games Master and player's previous d20 knowledge,
making the book non-new roleplayer friendly. The book has poor table
definition, and the rules feel cluttered and inaccessible. Tables that
should be clear-aren't. (Finding the skills and hit dice per level on
the advancement charts was difficult because of layout and font choice.)
It feels as though the MSRD was ravaged and thrown bodily into the work,
most of the skill and feat descriptions are uninspiring.
The new
rules for magic and sanity (Fear, Madness and Panic Saves) are somewhat
interesting, though the new saves are all based on Wisdom scores. A
new "horror tracking system" makes its way into the game,
Shock Points are gained from failed sanity saves. Each Shock Point penalizes
a character on further sanity saves, making a downward spiral for the
character's mind unless they try to get out of the situation (by turning
to drugs, alcohol, or sheer force of will). Some characters will end
up "purchasing" mental disorders with their accumulated Shock
Points.
OGL Horror's
magic operates by draining ability scores, fueling the spell or ritual
with the character's innate power seems a good idea in modern-era, Lovecraftian
horror games. It comes across as a good way to make magic rare and keep
the player's interest up when they have to turn to magic to defeat one
horror or another.
Though
the hard work put into the book can be felt, with the designer's notes
at the end of the book feels as though the book should have been a rules
supplement that added to a D20 Modern game. The author takes the time
to tell the reader that he wanted us to play with his house rules on
horror games, further undercutting the book. Parts of the books strengths
are the non-rule parts, though most of the ideas are more geared for
X-Files type of games than shake-'em-an'-break-'em games. I felt as
though I had read through the bulk of horror advice from the terror
techniques in the old Ravenloft boxed set, but it was a nice, comforting
feeling to have that in the book that was more threadbare than I had
hoped.
Overall,
OGL Horror isn't a bad rules accessory, just a poorly lain out roleplaying
game. Most gamers coming to this book will be familiar with the rules,
so having shortened the amount of time needed to present character creation
and game rules is acceptable. Those gamers hoping for a solidly built
horror roleplaying game based on the D20 System will may want to see
what's been done while waiting for a better presented work to come along.
Those new to roleplaying may wish to skip this book, as the confusion
and shorthand that comes across in this book may frighten new players
away. OGL Horror is an okay entry to the horror game, but isn't quite
up to the standards that the other roleplaying games have set for this
genre.
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