Review of The Nightmare War

Nightmare War, a d20 setting book, is Old Kingdom Games' first product. It is the first in a series of settings books, called Campaign Gems, that will contain world information and setting specific game mechanics. The goal of each Campaign Gem is to allow for a wide variety of gameplay in terms of playing a single session to a whole campaign.

The world of Nightmare War is set in the near future where diseases run rampant. The level and frequency of violence is on the rise causing much chaos around the world. In the midst of this turmoil, a growing number of people have been afflicted with reoccurring nightmares. These people soon discover that they have gained extraordinary abilities and begin to see a pattern to the chaos occurring all over the world. Calling themselves the Nightwalkers, they are soon embroiled with forces they have yet to understand.

Overall, the layout is nicely done. It adds to the atmosphere of the setting. Things are in their proper place making it relatively easy for a GM to find any information. The artwork range from OK to good and from black and white to color. They serve their purpose in contributing to the setting. The opening fiction introduces the reader to the world of Nightmare War. We are given a glimpse of the world through the life of two Nightwalkers.

The book is divided into four sections after the opening fiction. The first section is for the players and GM. More of the world opens up with the use of props such as pamphlet, letters, interviews, and magazine clips all done in game. Through these props, we see hints of corruption and conspiracy. We see a group of people forced underground, trying to find others of their kind to warn them of imminent danger and to pull their resources to fight for survival. We see a world spiraling out of control as disease and violence go unchecked.

The second section deals with the game mechanics needed to bring the world to life. There are five character classes, new skills and feats, and items useful to the setting. The five character classes are:

Engram: Able to read thoughts and rewrite memory.

Phobetor: Develop enhanced strength, increased athleticism, and are natural leaders.

Psychometabolic: Able to manipulate organic tissue such that they can heal as well as reshape their body or another living being.

Telemechanic: Able to move inanimate objects as well as shape an object to a different form.

Vagrant: Able to walk through barriers and teleport. They are best known for their ability to gain new random powers temporarily.

The third section is for GM eyes’ only. One chapter is devoted to what is really going on. Another chapter gives GMs tips on how to run the types of games appropriate for this setting. There is a section devoted to important NPCs as well as adversaries to throw at the PCs. One of the best surprises was the expansion of NPC classes such as cops, cyber spooks, hitman, etc.

The fourth section contains multiple media references that were the inspiration for this setting and for which it can be used to aid the GM. This section also contains definition of terminologies used throughout the book. Finally there is the character sheets tailored individually for the 5 classes.

The Good

-A neat twist in a cross genre of horror and near future -Good character class concepts -A well organized book -Tips on how to run a game of Nightmare War from a one shot session to a whole campaign. -web support

The Bad

-The book is only available in PDF form. -There is no introductory adventure.

Overall, the book is very well though out and produced. The setting has neat elements with which one can play in it in multiple ways. There is a promise of future web support to extend the use of this product and will be free. Depending on how you look at it, some questions were left unanswered. Not everything was revealed and the authors left it to the GMs' imagination. On the downside, the book is only available in PDF form. I prefer paper product over PDF.

I gave it a 4 for substance. Despite some things not being fleshed out enough, the promise of future web support tipped it in it's favor. For style, I also gave it a 4. The layout, overall, was done well. There were a couple of pages that got too busy and therefore were potentially distracting. The trade off was that it conveyed the atmosphere of the setting and enhanced the enjoyment [in my mind, anyway] of reading through the fluff. The character concepts seem fun to play as and the antagonists exciting to fight against. The thing that prevented me from giving a 5 was the artwork. I felt the artwork was just OK with a couple exceptions. Majority of artwork didn't draw me in.

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