TAJ
Truth and Justice
I love superheroes. As a genre they
are probably one of my favorite realms for gaming. That being said, two
of my top three supers games were produced some time back and it takes
significant and powerful acts of cosmic force to shake that up. I've
also worked quite hard at creating my own supers engine, and that bias
may shine through in this review.
However, I'm up front here
in saying that Truth and Justice has managed to to thrust
itself unabashedly into my top three supers games and I hope to cover
the reasons below as well as addressing a few minor quirks and flaws it
possesses that keeps it from reaching the coveted number two
slot on my list.
Like my previous review I'll be using a
bit of the system itself as a grading system for the game so we have
from worst to best: Poor (-2), Average (0), Good (+2), Expert (+4),
Master (+6).
Truth and Justice is approximately 120
pages not counting character sheet, forms, and multiple full color
advertisements-something I felt a bit obnoxious in the PDF, but
fortunately relatively ignorable.
The Cover Art is about the best art in
the book. Most of it is rather uninspiring. In general it all has a
peculiar "off-brand" flavor that might be charming if it were
consistent (sort of reminiscent of the Tick). The fact that
it isn't very consistent tends to diminish its charm. Many
people don't buy games for there art, although super hero games often
get hit hardest
critically speaking for art. To tell you the truth the art isn't really
memorable or evocative, it is utterly forgettable and that is the worst
thing for a reader like me because I use the art to quickly locate
important rules text. I am not an art critic and so there will not be
any rank or grade value for art. It has a certain flavor and feel of
its own, for good or ill.
Pages
I-IV
A title page, then we get a
two-page table of contents before a brief introductory page. The
introduction covers the PDQ system, the company, and the
author's intro in short relatively brief bits, fortunately succinct and
to the point.
Chapter 1: The Superhero Genre
Starting out with the genre itself it
jumps right in with both costumed feet giving us a sort of strange
introductory bit about crazy pajamas (a rather off center and
cartoonish take). Then we get to the gist of the game, superheroes. One
of the big things however is that this section is a tad bit long
winded, but that's ok. Lacking substantiative art, we are left with a
need for a thousand words.
The chapter in general covers the
ideas of Lies vs Truth, Injustice vs Justice, and Heroism as well as
the Mad Beautiful Ideas that make up the basic genre that is
superheroes. (Note the capitalizations!) Though chapter is very much an
essay on the genre ans as such it doesn't quite address using them as
gaming elements. It does get down to an important (one of two) game
elements that come up again later--scale and style.
Scale comes up first. In
Truth and Justice there are two scales, normal scale and super-scale
making the game a very broad strokes type right out of the bag. Scaling
covers the "big stuff", massive damage, great distances, or not as
needed. Style on the other hand covers a bit in part of the eras of
comic books--from Golden and Silver Ages to Modern comics ages and
everything in between. The chapter also addresses the differences
between comic book era's which existed under the "Code" (Comic's Code
Authority) and those outside of it. Covering it up right to the more
modern takes lensed through animated series (and their
associated and unique differences from comics).
Though it doesn't stop with just general broad ideas, but digs deep
into the details, deathtraps, crossovers, changes in continuity,
killing in comics, monologues, and so on. It doesn't exactly create
rules or rules support of any of this but it does provide a discussion
of their existence which is a serious start to creating a knowledge
base for somoene previously unfamiliar with the comic book medium.
Perhaps even enough to fake being a long time comics reader for gaming
purposes. That says a lot for the strength of the writing and material
here.
While not perfect it
deserves its Good (+2) Strength.
Chapter 2: Truth and Justice
Rules Overview
Beginning here we get to the meat f the
system. It explains the do-it-yourself elements of the system, as well
as the scale of traits and target numbers from Poor (-2 as a Trait, 5
as a Target Number), to Master (+6 as a Trait, 13 as a Target number).
The basic system is roll 2d6+trait to beat the difficulty rank assigned
by the GM (or generated by an opposing force). There are some systems
that come into play later that can make this a bit more exciting. Hero
points can be used to modify dice roll for example, as well as well as
Upshifts (bonus modifiers), Downshifts (penalties), or even stack when
multiple traits that might ight come into play.
The basic traits of characters are
called qualities. They take the place of other games attributes,
skills, hobbies, professions, basically any really notable and
important capability, or relationship in the game. All characters get a
choice of packages which they can assign so they don't always have the
exact same numbers but they have roughly equitable value totals
overall. Each package also requires a character to also take one
drawback, a Poor ranked trait. It is interesting to note when
taking poor traits that how you look at the trait can matter.
When I created a character for myself
in a game, I gave my character a "Poor Teenager" trait, defining it as
his actually being bad at being a teenager--people expected too much of
him, even though he was a teen hero they often expected adult
behaviors, decisions, heroics and so on because he projected an adult
level of confidence, control, and will.
Another hero might take
teenager at poor and play it perfectly straight--as a normal teenager,
rebellious, limiting because people don't expect much of
them, and because they tend to behave exactly as a teen would.
Both have the same drawback,
defined differently under the do-it-yourself aesthetic of the
game.
In the game I ran to test
out the mechanics, one player took a trait that might be
seen as a limit in other games but in Truth and Justice
actually can be beneficial. He took his 14 year old daughter as a
relationship. Since any trait can take "damage" in the game and can
trigger setbacks/plot hooks it can limit him--but he can also draw upon
it as a source of strength, knowledge, and ability. In the game he used
this trait to help calm a panicky young girl, drawing on his knowledge
of how he would calm his own daughter.
Like most such games, any trait not
defined is assumed to be Average (0), so that a character can in
general perform tasks even if they've not defined something for
themselves. Some
consideration between what makes a trait a strength or a weakness is
given some discussion in this chapter as well as the game difference
between weaknesses and vulnerabilities (but most of that is put off for
a later chapter).
Described in addition to game concepts,
are the uses of time, range,and movement. The game uses basic real
worlds measurements for most things with exceptions here and
there being most notably for time: Scenes, turns, actions and reactions.
Powers are given a paragraph as well as
the difference between qualities ("traits") and powers (qualities are
normal scale, and powers are super-scale as a rule of thumb).
Stunts, and Hero points concepts again
follow in brief order but they are only covered in the most
basic ideas here, although strangely we find a bit of an example for
stunts even though we've not been fully introduced to the concept yet,
nor how a character gets access to such abilities. That comes in a
later chapter.
Finally however we get to the important
bit of the rules that matters early on, and that is task
resolution. The chapter goes into detail into such things as
complex situations (where rolls are required), conflict situations
(opposed rolls), Upshifts and Downshifts (modifiers), basic damage,
super-scale damage, and zeroing out.
We also get significant text box "sidebar" on
what abstract conflict results actually mean. That "damage" (lingering
failure ranks) are not necessarily health in the classic sense, but
that loss of effectiveness may be justified/explained in any
number of ways as a result of failure/damage as the fallout
from getting hurt, or even, being in battle. For example: Getting hurt
in combat may make you late for an important business meeting and cause
your CEO Quality of Good to take a hit for a while as your company has
some shakeups and an attempted take over--because you weren't there for
the takeover vote and it was proxied.
A rather interesting and evocative way
to explain the strange emotional craziness of comic book life.
In my game a hero took damage slid it
onto his relationship with his daughter trait--he was too busy fighting
the good fight, to be there for her. This will come up again when he
tries to deal with her directly and their relationship will have
sufffered for it. Its so brilliant I wish I'd thought of it.
However, there are some mechanical hijinx here
that create issues. The whole section on "Zeroing Out" discusses
conflict taking some time. Though the resolution system rarely does nor
does actual combat situation--they can finish too fast with lucky or
unlucky results for given set of characters. My experience is the
system can misbehave badly. Because of 2d6+Trait vs an opposed
2d6+trait in two fairly matched opponents CAN result in a hero or
villain zeroing out with a single blow, simply by blind dumb dice luck.
Hero points like most games provide a mere stop-gap solution
here, and feel patched on because they aren't more central to the core
conflict resolution system. Since damage in combat is the
difference between defense and attack on a roll, that randomness
(especially if superscale is involved) can take over the game and run
rampant over the most elegant of the rest of the mechanics.
It won't in most Truth and Justice games, kill a hero, but it can put
them out of the game for a while unconscious.
Dice are simply more important to the outcome than
the traits, which can in some instances seriously impair 'comic book'
style play. Where drama can be added by unexpected results. Randomeness
can can also add dramatic results without a sense of timing, making
them fall flat. Due to the dice rolls being so central to the conflict
outcome they matter more than the qualities most of the time. Some form
of staged system that buffers this would be nice.
This chapter gets a Good
(+2) Strength
Chapter 3: Characters
Now in chapter 3 we finally get to
character generation. I must be from old school, but I always tend to
be drawn to this first as I understand games better once I've a
character to examine the rules through.
Character generation doesn't do
anything spectacular. It covers the basics name, background, etc. It
briefly touches upon motivation (someday you'll find out why I feel
this should be way more important in superhero games). Truth and
Justice addresses motivation and gives it some decent level of weight
in play.
The assigning of qualities is one of
the first true "mechanical" steps the game puts forth. You get a choice
of 5 different value sets ranging from: 5 Good (+2),
Strengths and 1 Poor (-2) Weakness all the way to 1 Master
(+6) Strength, 1 Expert (+4) Strength, also with 1 Poor (-2)
Weakness. The specifics are chosen by the player so they can
be as
broad or as narrow as one wishes. One could for example take "Cop" (an
example used in the book) or even "Pistols" or both in the same
character to represent a police officer who is good with pistols. The
strengths can be hobby, profession, skill, attribute, relationship, or
any benefit that they can draw upon from time to time.
Powers come up shortly thereafter and
follows a similar setup (but with different values) offering a choice
of 5 different schema for power selection from a single
Master power down to 6 Average Rank Powers. While it might seem odd to
some to have a power at Average "0" rank in a game, remember for the
most part, the rule is that these are things are at super scale--even
Average Super Speed is better than the fastest "Runner" mundane
quality. (in theory anyway. In truth the lines are a bit more blurry).
The list of powers comes later in another chapter, why its not part of
the character creation chapter I don't know.)
Hero Points are discussed again in more
detail describing both the starting level, the "Max" (tied to
advancement and permanent increases to a character). Both these
elements are well presented and well thought out and a nice nod to the
variable nature of comics as well as the common desires of
some gamers. While a bit of a step away from pure genre emulation, it
is still a good solid way to handle it and create both an appropriate
feel and give a bit of a rewards system for players. (Since rewards are
never really for the character in the first place).
Overall, I give this
chapter an Expert (+4) Rating.
Chapter 4: Super Powers
Beginning right smack at the first of
this chapter is a discussion of putting people on the same page with
regards to capabilities. I am not sure I entirely agree with the
sentiment. The GM and a individual player need to be on the same page,
but not all players--so long as they are having fun. After all even in
comics heroes don't always know what another is truly capable off.
Flexibility of the outcome is often what makes comics exciting (it is
the unexpexted you see that can thrill us.).
The "Do-it-yourself" idealogy
continues here you can create powers, modify powers, or tinker to your
hearts content, although there is no shortage of superpowers to fill in
the blanks. There are often some odd decisions in regards to having
powers that are similar but simply visually different versions of the
same fundamental effect or concept such as: Beam of (Something) vs Bolt
of (Something), and Battle Suit vs Power-Armor they seem to pretty much
be space wasted that could have been dedicated to more confusing,
ambigious powers that are difficult to adjudicate). Most of
the basics are covered as well as the much needed "broadband" powers
(Quasi-powers in this case) that let you do multiple things with a
singular super-quality.
Considering the basic concepts it is
quite easy to simulate/emulate virtually any supers you can imagine
except for those that requires rules specific quirks of other games.
The powers chapter also discusses the
uses of limitations as opportunities, and the "power" of Intense
Training (which is simply a way to trade super power ranks for normal
quality ranks.)
A sampling of
powers
- Armor
- Body of (Something)
- Bolt of (Something)
- Gadgets
- Phasing
- Power Armor
- Shapeshifting
- Sorcery
- Superspeed
- Super-Strength
- Vehicle
I think the number of powers is
sufficient to give players sufficient concepts of how the rules work
when creating their own new power, or alternately simply using them as
is to create a number of interesting and evocative character types.
Pretty much a jam packed chapter but
that isn't all! We also get even more on stunting and stunts
including signature stunts: those special maneuvers/bag of
tricks a hero has, and spin-off stunts, those that lie outside his
normal powers but might be
stretched to fit with enough creative comic book "logic." these ideas
are covered in very solid detail and given a grounding in
how they work for the game.
This chapter rings in at
as resounding rank of Expert (+4) strength.
Chapter 5: Super Conflict
Expanding on the types of conflict and
the system in detail this chapter covers all the more detailed uses in
play elements. From combat pieces such as initiative, to using multiple
abilities at the same time to dealing with multiple abilities against
multiple targets. Here damage at super scale is explained at
well (Furthur aggravating the potential random pitfall from before).
Delving into the depths of combat seems
to be what this "conflict" is all about. Unfortunately, although damage
is a strange flexible abstraction you'd think we'd get some more ideas
of the potential uses of this in play. Instead the "super conflict"
chapter is mostly about the normal outcome of super combat--collateral
damage, impromptu weapons-of-opportunity, etc.
This chapter sadly gets
only a Average [0] rating because of its lack of equitable time for all
potential conflicts the system allows for.
Chapter 6: Gamemastering.
Beginning with a caveat
like "editor's note" basically talking about the nature of
high trust, and what that means in a game. It goes to the heart of any
gaming for me. Why game with people who aren't your friends (or
potentially your friends?) in that respect of friendship, trust is a
given concept, and such terms as "high trust" gaming isn't really
needed.
High trust within the context of gaming
means it is up to the players and GM to determine the best path for
outcomes using the rules as a guideline not a straight-jacket. For me
this is a good thing and its what makes a good supers game. I love the
crazy wild ride of most comics, and I often expect that of gaming. Fun,
that doesn't always make the same strict sense as long as excitement
and drama flow on the center screen. (I expect a certian level of
consistency too, but there is a give and take there.)
The GM section here begins giving
advice on check-listing what kind of campaign you might want to run in
terms of theme, on helping players to create pc's, on setting up
stunts, before switching gears to more focused setting creation
elements. It provides some device ideas (Macguffins, red herrings, and
the like), big lasers, power canceling igloos, suggestions for statting
up animals, with several examples. It also gives some basic but not too
involved adventure design advice, starting with a "splash" page. Very
solid advice but nothing spectacular to most gamers. Sample
NPC's round up the last bit of this chapter. Nothing really moving
here, a few bits of fun zaniness that ducks the often to dire and
dreadful modern seriousness of most sample characters in superhero
games.
Overall the chapter is a
solid useful Good Ranked (+2) Strength quality!
Chapter 7: Second String Supers
One of three sample settings. I can't say much on these, as honestly
when you get down to it my head is too crowded for anyone else's
superhero settings most of the time. This one seems to be an homage of
sorts to Mystery Men but perhaps taken a slight bit more "straight" in
tone. Although the key lead hero is kinda lame (and in let's let your
tag-along little brother make the main character kinda way.)
Solid enough
it, gets a Good (+2) Ranked Strength.
Chapter 8: Supercorps
The second sample setting. This one reminds me a bit of Supertemps and
is a bit more interesting than Second String Supers Although still in
the realm of been there and done that before.
This chapter is solid
Good (+2) Strength
Chapter 9: Fanfare for the
Amplified Man
A Third Sample setting, and
sadly, lamentably the one which should have gotten the space the other
two take up. This one has actually got a lot more spirit and
verve to it. From the comment on the Tzaddikim taken from the Talmud
and the obvious inspiration from Lensmen/Green Lanterns and similar
"power object" heroes. Yet it is solidly got a spark that makes it a
bit more unique. Maybe for me it is the tone of the writing. It actualy
seems to address the subject matter as less of a lark or parody (which
both of the above two seem to echo in sentiment to me). That just
doesn't jive with the earnest love of the source the game seems to
have.
This Chapter is a solid
Expert (+4) Strength (biased by me muahaha)
Chapter 10: Bibliography
The game wraps up rather than winds down giving a
huge list of source material all of it worth looking at for ideas,
concepts, and artistic merit. I'm surprised at some of the things which
did make it onto the list actually. My own not yet published
superhero game, for example, gets a nod since I shared an
early draft with Chad when he was writing Truth and Justice.
Master (+6) for the
detail and depth
In summation:
The adventure I ran "Stormfall", had
heroes who'd worked together loosely before, responding to the damage
done by hurricane to New Orleans, dealing with refugees, and the
possibility of a second hurricane about to strike while some people
were still not truly sheltered far enough away. The conflicts were
many, crowds overcome with despair almost to riot for needs of water
and food. Zombies summoned up by demon forces to feed on despair. The
demons themselves, and a new hurricane about to crack a nuclear
(fusion) reactor core (I love comics ability to play with reality.) It
took three sessions via IRC to establish the various elements and play
them out.
The player-heroes consisted of Hiro, an alien
"space marshall" hiding on earth from a bevy of bickering
alien lovers with high tech armor, weapons (sword and pistol), an aging
superhero of the strong and two-fisted sort named Sentinel (with
14-year-old daughter, though that was a somewhat strained relationship,
and a "Too old for this" attribute), and finally BladeStorm, a
superfast force-manipulator with a blade fetish.
Play was rapid, the first session
threats were readily handled although in one or two instances rule
flipping slowed things down, as with any game. The second session
actually had the biggest issue of play. When a super-scale fire demon
smacked our poor BladeStrorm, and with a single strike (and a in spite
of HERO points spent) he was taken out because of the effect of a bad
roll versus a good roll and applied scaling. The fact that it tied
into later part of the adventure was useful as plot hook, the
nuclear reactor core was not a planned event until he took a
hit on his physicist/scientist trait.
The game runs very quickly and very smoothly. It does expect
a lot of give and take flexibility with plot outcomes based on how
heroes take "damage" that can be good for some gamers and bad for
others.
In general I think its brilliant. It
takes a lot for me to say that about a game these days. I'm
jaded perhaps. I find a lot of games that attempt innovation, trite,
annoying or problematic. I find few truly systemic issues
with Truth and Justice, just the opposite in fact. Truth and Justice is
an elegant, simple system that comes up to bat and knocks it into
orbit. It takes its place in the honored and justly deserved number
3 spot on my top 3 super games.
It takes a great amount of
power to shake that list up, huge, super scale, earth shattering cosm
changing power at that. It may only be nostalgia that keeps the number
2 game slot fixed as it is anyway.
In fact, I'll say, in time Truth and
Justice, with some support, it will reach number 2 in my list. Meaning
only my own system near and dear to my hear remains number 1, and if
you knew the blood, sweat, and tears it took to write it you'd forgive
that bit of hubris.
Truth and Justice is one of the best
super-hero games available on the market. It surpasses many in terms of
maintain playability, flexibility and style, without trying to be alien
to most traditional gamers way of playing. It has a few hiccups, but no
game is without a few warts.
The fact that I can stat virtually any character
I can imagine up in under five minutes isn't just a boon, its cosmic
crossover
event!
The entire
game deserves a rating (in spite of the chapter by chapter breakdown)
of Expert (+4) Strength
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Comped Playtest Review
Tim Kirk
December 19, 2005
Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 5 (Excellent!)
A fantastic supers engine, arguably the best supers game on the currently market for true genre emulation.
Tim Kirk has written 17 reviews, with average style of 3.76 and average substance of 4.12. The reviewer's previous review was of Tomorrow Knights. This review has been read 3688 times. |
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