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Eldritch Ass Kicking (affectionately labeled EAK for the remainder of this review) is the kind of role-playing game that seems familiar from the start. Either someone has done this before, or we can't help but wonder why no one had done it yet.
Perhaps it's EAK's premise that seems so familiar. Players take the roles of wizards who scour the lands in search of other magic users. Once the others have been found, the wizards either form an uneasy alliance, or an arcane battle ensues with the victor indulging in the spoils. The purpose, it seems, is for the wizards to battle it out to the last man, for there can be only one.
Or maybe EAK's familiarity has to do with its obvious influence by other indie role-playing games. EAK's system is among the "rules-lite" camp. A simple set of rules dictate all task resolution. More importantly, EAK is dependant, almost crippled, by the creativity and quick thinking of its players. While success at a mundane tasks can be determined easily enough, fabricating a magical spell to accomplish complex actions may be placing too much faith in the players (more on that later).
Incidentally, it may be the magic that makes EAK seem so familiar. EAK is, after all, an RPG of high fantasy including slavering beasties, long-bearded wizards, and mystical locales. All of which are imbued with magical energy based on one of the four earthly elements. These are the fundamentals of the fantasy genre, so it's easy to find familiarity in EAK's pages.
For whatever reason, EAK's familiar nature makes it one of those rare role-playing games in which fantasy role players need very little knowledge of the campaign setting to create a character and begin playing. Plus, playing a "bad-ass" wizard is just plain fun.
Unfortunately, some gamers may be at a loss when it comes to creating spells. Thus, EAK is recommended for fantasy geeks, thespians, and RPG veterans who are ready to spar with creativity and wit. Number crunchers, those players who depend on "official" rules, and realists, stay away. EAK is not for you.
Presentation
Whether the credit goes to Key 20 Publishing or writer/game designer Nathan J. Hill is unimportant. The fact remains that Eldritch Ass Kicking is an organized, clean, and readable role-playing game.
A perfect bound softcover, EAK's 96 pages come complete with a comprehensive table of contents, an index, and a character sheet in addition to the expected campaign setting, rules, and flavor text. EAK's layout is in standard two-column format. Just the right amount of headers, interior art, and tables serve to break the monotony of text. And the text font itself is easy on the eyes and nicely groomed of typos and grammatical errors. (Sure, there were a few, but not enough to merit a proper tongue lashing.)
Of all EAK's visual traits, the one that merits the most attention is the artwork. Beginning with Thomas Denmark's "electrifying" cover and punctuated with Tom Weighill's interior art, EAK's illustrations exude personality. Particularly gratifying is the Ralph Bakshi-esque style represented within the wizards' bulbous faces, hooked noses, and piercing glares.
The Rules
Eldritch Ass Kicking's rules-lite system is, paradoxically, among its best and worst features. The character creation chapter is a mere five pages in length. For those of use who are minimalists, five pages may be all we need. For players who like to flesh out their characters with abilities, powers, and skills, however, EAK's character creation system will likely cause frustration.
To be more specific, characters have three main stats (i.e. Agility, Endurance, and Concentration), which are then compiled to create three derived stats (i.e. Speed, Life Points, and Focus). The frustrating part of character creation will probably come with the assignment of skills. Characters have four skills available to them: Air, Fire, Earth, and Water. That's it.
Why? Because characters are expected to do EVERYTHING with spells. (READ: "Wizards…use…magic!!!)
So, if a character wants to pick a lock, she must fashion a spell to accomplish the task. For players, this means coming up with some kind of magical effect to succeed at any given task. Thus for picking a lock, a wizard might use her skill with Earth to shift the metal tumblers within the locking mechanism. Sound far-fetched? It's supposed to be! That's the fun of using preternatural powers. Of course, this leaves the unimaginative player out in the cold. After all, if one doesn't consider, for instance, that metal can be linked to earth, how can one manipulate it with Earth-based magic?
Once a task and an appropriate spell are agreed upon, players should roll two ten-sided dice, add the appropriate skill and/or any other situational modifiers to the sum of the dice roll, and compare the amount to a GM-supplied target number. If the player's sum is greater than the target number, the spell has come off without a hitch. But if the player rolls two zeroes on the d10…something bad happens.
Combat resolution is much the same with only a few optional actions. Characters can attempt to evade an attack, for instance, as well as cast a counter spell or combine attacks at an increased difficulty. Characters can also heal or drain life with their magic. The only restriction is that players must devise a method by which their magic accomplishes the task.
A final game mechanic bears mention: the Insult Rule. While written as optional, the Insult rule brings out the unique nature wizards possess. That is, the stereotypical wizard is a master of wit and verbal abuse. Thus, a player who can thoroughly insult her opponent scores a first strike without retaliation. The result could be a wizard battle that ends in a single round!
The Campaign Setting
The compelling characteristic within EAK's background is its amalgamation of several genres all within a high fantasy setting. EAK's campaign setting takes place on the fantastical world of Anhelm. Through the wizard Aquaerion the Aquatic's journal, we discover the doom that came to Anhelm.
Once a world of men and magic, Anhelm was flung into chaos when the world's wizard suddenly went mad. In their madness, the wizards destroyed much of the civilized world and each other with awesome and terrible magic. Eventually, the madness subsided, and those who remained were the destroyers themselves. Now only wizards walk Anhelm's lands--leery of each other lest madness take them anew.
The player characters count themselves among the survivors of the wizard madness. The restoration or total destruction of Anhelm is in their hands.
Final Thoughts
Clearly, EAK is high fantasy. Wizards band together to fight off the forces of evil or become evil as they see fit. Magic plays a crucial role in wizards' lives, naturally. And as mentioned above, the reliance on the four elements (Fire, Air, Water, and Earth) add a fantastic flavor to the campaign.
But EAK is also post-apocalyptic. Anhelm was once a fantasy world with all sorts of beings and creatures. Now, all the mundane beings have either been eradicated or have gone into hiding. Entire cities and civilizations have been destroyed. The old ways have come to an end. Only the wizards dare walk the lands.
EAK also shares traits with conspiracy RPGs. If all the wizards on Anhelm went mad during the cataclysm, what's to say it won't happen again? And if each wizard who came to her senses after the cataclysm has her own agenda, how is it that a wizard can trust any of her kin? And if the only civilized beings who walk the lands are wizards, is there anyone left on Anhelm without a secret agenda? If we stop to consider all these questions, can we trust Aquaerion the Aquatic's account of the cataclysm at all?
That isn't to say that EAK can only be a high fantasy, post-apocalyptic, conspiracy RPG (as if those categories aren't enough). The artwork suggests the very preposterousness of a land of wizards. They're huffy and inflated and…well…old. Imagine grampa smoking his pipe, cursing youngsters, and flinging spells. Playing a crotchety geezer can't possibly be taken seriously! There are even suggestions for playing young wizards attending a school of sorcery, or wizards who flex spells within a wrestling ring.
Whether it's played straight, horrific, or comedic, expect to create a cadre of unforgettable characters and an assortment of strange memories. Eldritch Ass Kicking is a thespian gamer's workout.
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