Tomorrow Knights

     Tomorrow Knights was originally a comic printed in the early 90's under the Epic imprint. Due to the artist/creator being involved with Z-man Games/Spectrum Games they worked a deal to produce the Tomorrow Knights RPG.

What is Tomorrow Knights?

    In essence, the game is cybernetic, power armored, action heavy game with elements of noir and pulp. It is a slicker crisper more fully realized SF setting which draws inspiration from cyberpunk, espionage and other such genres to build something that is, somewhat alone in its field as a near future hard SF game. 

     Part of what keeps it from being full on cyberpunk is the attitude differs slightly and the artwork is very crisp, clean linework that simply screams less than gritty. This is a good thing.

     The basic concept of the game is in the relatively near future, the Universal Corporate Council has gained immense power as an oversight force for corporations and also as a world shaking megacorp power itself. Governments still exist however, the president of the U.S is known to take a hard oppositional stance to the UCC's policies. A limited nuclear exchange made the weather worse, and the big SF concept is that power armor is the modern-military's backbone. 

     No it doesn't discount tanks (a mini tank being one of the example vehicles.) but these urban versatile vehicles make a man pretty much as effective as an entire special forces squad of the 20th century.

     Though this is not the only change, technological modification of humans--from cyber limbs to a symbiont who can control electromagnetic effects exist. The rules allow for human "experiments" as a matter of course from poison glands to mole-sight and so on.

     One can be modified. Though ALWAYS for a price--a negative side effect that usually outweighs the positive. In our game we had two experiments--one genetic, the other cybernetic. One healed at a much slower pace due to a variety of espionage/camouflage's enhanced traits, the other took damage from bright lights (his cyber eye was too good and actually caused dangerous feedback when overwhelmed.)

The Basics

     The system is 2d6+trait vs a difficulty number starting at 3 (Dead Simple) and going up to 18 (Impossible). Traits being neither wholly attributes or skills but often a bit of both they cover the basic description process of defining a characters capabilities. There are two kinds of traits:  Easy and Hard. Within the system an easy trait based task may be attempted by anyone with some chance of success, while those listed as hard traits can't even be attempted unless one has training in that trait.

      A GM may modify a DN by adding modifiers above the base level (from +3 to -3 is the typical range.) this strikes me as odd addition since the GM is likely already setting the basic DN to begin with--why not simply have that factored into the 3-18 scale? 

Although the separate element allows one to set a flat difficulty for a task--then modify it based on situational factors for specific characters this way, it seems to me that just giving the GM permission to set the DN's based on individual characters and their specific situations to begin with; would been a simpler and smoother handling of the system. This is not to say its a bad thing, just an extra that complicates an otherwise dead simple system. Opposed trait rolls are a given in some circumstance, and the handling of these is rather different than most.  Instead of comparing traits (mostly) in a straight trait vs trait plus dice method; traits instead roll vs a difficulty of 3--and then if both succeed compare their degree of success to determine who wins. At first this looks slower than the former method, but in practice I found it much faster than expected and more consistent in producing the kind of results I expected than directly opposing trait rolls.

     Seamless Points are the 'luck' and experience of the game, they are interesting in that they are awarded by the GM in play, but players can set up their characters to get more by taking hooks. Hooks being some plot element that they want to be introduced (from vendettas, to debts and so forthr.) What might look like a disadvantage system, is actually a lever to create an exciting game and challenge the character.  Now I rather like this element although my players didn't use it (given the playtest nature and short term duration of things,
the adventure set up didn't make it particularly easy for them to activate the hooks they took. In a long term campaign I expect they would routinely shake things up.

     Seemless points can be used to buy fortunate circumstances/extra effort pushes of themselves (add an additional die to roll), buffer wounds (reducing their effect essentially getting lucky and it being only a flesh wound type situation.) protect themselves from shock (a circumstance of being wounded that can knock a player character out.)

     Seamless points ALSO work as experience, players may spend them to purchase a chance to increase a trait (cheaper but riskier)cor simply work towards buying up a trait. Now some gamers hate, absolutely, the idea that to get lucky/push oneself in a gamecone can't learn from it. This is a bit jarring for some. I don't mind them in games meant for slow advancement, or minimal advancement (superheroes), and a starting Tomorrow Knights character is fairly competent so the necessary need to advance is not a given--if I can make the character I want at game start. Yet not everyone feels the same, and for this particular game I feel a separate system might have made more sense. People learn from their mistakes, mistakes are often where you need luck and effort the most to get out of them. Ideally a situation where seamless points spent in play also count towards learning something knew would be better.

     The system is fairly easy to use, but not without a few consistency issues.  For example:  Called shots are mentioned to get around armor for human targets, and, it is mentioned that one can put a pipe through the face plate of armored suits--implying it is a weaker spot to strike. Yet the system treats this as simply a good rolled result--that is a high degree of success. Yet nothing limits someone with a high degree of success from describing the result differently. It strikes me as one of the areas where in trying not to complicate the game and make it heavier in play they actually didn't connect the dots between the writing of the conceptual ideas to the actual mechanical system. Since it is part of the setting that the, pipe through a faceplate, can be done, but the mechanical effect is no different than any other good result on a strike when it surpasses protection to do damage.. Simply noting a slight drop in protection for the faceplates would have resolved this situation more elegantly.

     Overall the system is relatively smooth, easy to use, and fun, it tries some interesting things, but isn't straying into dangerous attempts to do all new,all different things.

I give the system 4 of 6 faces on the d6.

The Book

     The book is soft cover and relatively short by modern gaming standards clocking in at 128 pages. It is black and white throughout and has superb art (Being from the comic book with bits created by the original comic book creators, its also consistent, and that means the book to me is beautiful in representation without being over produced.)

     One thing to note, because of its thickness, non-color setup the book is priced at 19.95 US. That means a complete near future SF game for just around twenty bucks! This is GOOD for those of us who want a solid game, without paying an arm and a leg for it, and that's a PRINT copy price.

The book's quality is decent but not high end, so its merely average, except for the price to quantity of information and that pushes it to a 4 of 6 on the d6

Breakdown

     The book starts with a forward and introduction by Eddie Webb and Cynthia Celeste Miller (the games creators.) after that single page a couple of simple black and white page series of comics panels introduce the setting in a nutshell.

Chapter 1: Introduction

     We get "What is Role-playing", a brief introduction to the comics from the 90's then an example of play right up front. The example to begin with is short of game terms because we've not gotten to those yet and is fairly loose in presenting the "game" elements--its better than an unrelated short story at least.

     After that brief bit we're given some more basics--what you need to play, summary of game terms. I'm not entirely happy with seeing them up front. It's not a bad decision but I much prefer a glossary at the end of the book so I can flip open the backcover and read quickly. In a short book its not that bothersome, but its just where my preference places things.

     Once the glossary is done we get a chapter by chapter break down of what's in the book in brief its a nice summary that might speed play if someone has to look something up, but its not nearly as useful as an index would have been.

I give Chapter 1 3 of 6 faces on the d6

Chapter 2: Flash forward

     Covering the history of the world as it is needed to explain this near future SF game beginning with the discovery of Zionite in 2007 (a strange super elementl discovered in space.) the use of the element ends up with a super-material that they then use in fashioning a battle pod (big power armored suit.)

     From there we get the 13 hour war, and the rise to power United Corporate Council who essentially takes over the UN's role due to their failures. The UCC established themselves with a treaty that empowered them as essentially a new world order government, eating away sovereignty of the world's nations.

     This section introduces us to the various factions: Starkweather Limited, (the Tomorrow Knights themselves) who are a special unit of semi-mercenaries essentially employed by the U.S President to strike back at the UCC. The UCC is given some detail, as are the REAM Team (Regulatory Enforcement Agents, Mechanized--the private army of the UCC) as well as details on other factions from big corporations to Yakuza Shogunate.

     We are treated to slang terms, although considering their comics source we get more generalized slang rather than the colorful linguistics often found in more classic cyberpunk, near future sci fi. 

     The game unlike some actually examines some of the concepts of the setting as a game as well, cinematic (yet gritty) action, involved characterization, sociapathic corporations, and mechanized battlesuits.

   All in all its a quick break down of many ideas. Sadly its TOO quick to be really useful long term. I give Chapter 2 a 3 of 6 faces on the D6

Chapter 3: Character design.

     A lot of the details here cover the system, but it breaks down important information on how to purchase traits, hooks, and so on. Like many games the first step is to come up with a concept. Although this is difficult without more world information at this stage, it is not impossible.

     Character creation is point based with Easy traits starting at 0 and going to 5, and Hard Traits starting at -3 and going to 5. Easy traits not listed by a pc are presumed to be accessible at average level (0), while Hard traits MUST always be purchased andthey start at -3 for the first point spent.

     Traits as noted before cover attributes and skills together, they cover three broad categories: Body, Mind and Style (social)

and do a reasonable job of describing a person's abilities.

Mind Traits 

• Computers
• Expert
• Investigation
• Knowledge
• Literacy
• Medicine
• Numbers
• Perception
• Science
• Survival
• Technology
• Willpower

Something to note is that Numbers is somewhat more important that its name suggests as it impacts wealth! (and in a future where you pay cash for your tech unless an experimental model, that's pretty important!)

Each trait is broken down and given a -3 to +5 description of competence, and specializations are also possibilities where on aspect of the broad traits are emphasized over others.

     In addition to scaled traits, you have perks (advantages) which range from law enforcement privileges to extreme wealth contacts and beauty. Though this also covers some unique bits that deserve examining, from being a clone (clones are rare and have memory issues.), to having a Shadow Demon implant (a symbiotic semi-living device that gives one additional electromagnetic senses and limited elctromaginetic control.) although it mentions Scientific Experiments (one-off, specialized character advantage packages) they aren't covered until a later chapter.

     Hooks also come up in this chapter, these are the 'experience' triggers that give players ways to bring in their own seamless points by utilizing their hooks, they range in severity by how often they show up, and how impairing they are to some extent. Notable in the examples the Hook Debt could be used to describe gambling debts to leg breaking mafioso, or simply the fact a character has to pay child support.

     The rest of the chapter fills in the details and then gives a handful of sample characters ready to plug in and play.

I give this chapter 5 of 6 faces, it covers things in enough detail to be useful and usable, without being burdensome.

Chapter 4: The Rules

     Beginning with a paragraph "When NOT to use the Rules" which describes that the system while versatile are not the end all ofthe experience of playing Tomorrow Knights. I find that approach nice but in some ways it really  is a simply better rationalizedt version of many games golden rules/rule zero. You use the engine as best as possible to fill your game groups needs. 

    Beyond describing the system (covered above) we also get the typical expanded combat uses of the system. It is like many games taking the basic system and showing us rather as typical that combat is king. Given the setting this is not a bad thing. Rather its actually genre, and comic appropriate to some degree. Although as a caveat, I note that a lot of social interaction is common in the comic, and it been nice if setting up such social interactions and conflicts were given as much detail as how to handle combat (but I'm a bit of a freak about that.)

This section gets 4 of 6 faces on the D6.

Chapter 5: The Tomorrow Knights Universe

      Covering the major players in a lot more detail we get write ups of John G. Starkweather (Ex Marine and CIA operative), Akiko Kuniyoshi (a Shadow Demon bearer), Felix A. Merrin (a clone, and technical genius), Isabelle J Lasalle (power armor operator and sex tech--essentially seduction based spy/assassin.) among many others beyond the Tomorrow Knights themselves including their enemies and other players/competitors.

     Also within this section is a list of locations from the New White House (at Cheyenne Mountain) to the now desolate ghost-city of New York (thanks to lethal fog created by bio-terrorists) and onward to the moon.

    Rather quickly done but it provides plenty of information to those unfamiliar with the comics.

4 of 6 faces o the D6

Chapter 6: Technology

The fun stuff! From K.E. Guns (Kinetic Energy) specialized plastic slugged weapons to the various tele-operated robots, tanks, powersuits, and cars used throughout the setting.

We get cybernetics/alterations like

• Adrenaline Booster Implant
• Inner-Com.
• Knife Hand
• Memory Data Assistant Implant
• Mini-Missile Launchers (Fiver Finger frig!)

     As well as others and some basic ways of building our own (although more "ask the GM" than hard set rules.)

      We also get some ubiquitous staples of the genre (mono molecular swords), as well as some interesting things the Cricket (a bipedal cybernetically operated recon and anti-personnel robot) and the power armors galore. Including the now impossible to make zionite armored battle pods (thanks to zionite formula being lost.)

     One thing that actually impairs this section is the fact that we don't get rules for the logic behind the armor, slots for guns/devices, speed and so on of the armors. We're given the suits that are pre-made and the slots for "tailoring" them a bit, but not the core logic/rules necessary to construct our own. Considering at least a few of the armors are prototypes it been nice to see an option for players to have their own prototypes (it is entirely possible to create a player character  who could make their own armor, and finance its construction.)

This section also left of the muscle scores for the suits/robots (which is important in play for melee damage and similar things) and that while a minor glitch it does make using the armors problematic (Note:The FAQ on their website covers this problem)

This section get 3 faces of 6 on the d6. 

Chapter 7: Gamemaster's Section

This section I'm giving the score up front--6 of 6 faces.

     The reason being it explains a lot of things quite well, from developing the "story" for play, helping make characters, and designing the campaign to fit the Tomorrow Knight's Universe. It even gives suggestion on how to describe things (most GM's I know don't need that help, but it can't hurt for those who do.)

     The chapter covers narrating techniques, prop use, participation and ownership of characters (the pc's are the players and that is an important thing I like having stated even though I usually GM. )

      The chapter also covers some game options that space could been shaved by dropping--using cards, not using randomizers at all. These things are nice, honestly, but in a relatively tight limits of space, such options are unnecessary and distracting.

    Also covered here is the "Scientific Experiment Background" (although Mole Sight is missing a value) its a rather nice and,  easy to use way to tailor some weirder character ideas. I used it for creating the chief NPC in my campaign who'd hired the pc's to break him out of an asylum for dangerous, but useful, science experiments that were a bit mad. In this case, the NPC was wired to be a living interface to a supercomputer. Micro Electromagnetic Reactive Linked Interphase Neural Network (MERLINN) was its name, and he was calling himself, Arthur, as in KING Arthur. Hence why he was in maximum security asylum. He hired the PC's to break him out, using e-mail drops. It pays to be able to neurally access one of the most powerful computers in the world.

Chapter 7: Adventure Briefings

      Covering some sample adventures this gives a very simple setup and payoff schema to describe the basic adventure ideas it provides. Some are quite good and its nice to see some ideas in such an otherwise compressed book on how to actually make use of the game.

5 faces of 6 on the D6

Chapter 8: Toxic Apocalypse

     A full chapter adventure. It provides a solid, beginning, middle and end to embroil your players in the world. . Even showing a few relevant bits of art (specifically one scene is taken from the comic that could easily become a handout to show pc's to detail just how nasty things are.)

The adventure is nice well plotted and looks highly usable or steal able for play.

5 of 6 faces on the D6.

     The final bit of the book is a Mutant and Masterminds appendix giving the armors, and other bits in M&M stats as well as the license needed to display such things and a PC sheet.

      Frankly its nothing spectacular here, I much prefer the default rules for Tomorrow Knights even though I like M&M a great deal, I don't think its damage system is best for the "gritty" yet cinematic play as a default that fits Tomorrow Knights. Although it is nice to have since you could introduce some of the suits into a supers campaign as military tech. Or even run the setting itself with M&M, just not quite I think as well as the core rules.

In general that gives it a (rounded) 5 of 6 faces on the D6.

    In summary the game system is fast and flexible and highly usable it is also roughly the same system as what is being used in their just released Midway City RPG. Although it has a  few minor hiccups between textual descriptions and actual rules it is well worth the price. It looks like I'll make use of this game regularly in play for near future cyberpunk style gaming, and I can recommend it quite well for those wanting something decent and cyberpunk like in setting.

    About the only issue that came up in play was simply a difference in perception between players understanding of the genre and my own. (I focus on action heavy elements that keep all players involved, on player wanted to spend weeks planning to infiltrate the hospital, and that just wasn't going to give enough for the other player to do. This has more to do with my perception than actual rules or game issues. Note to self: Explain your perception of genre in detail up front.)