Published in 1984 CHILL is a horror-genre RPG in which the players are members of the secret organization SAVE (Societas Albae Viae Eterniata, the Eternal Society of the White Way). This group is devoted to combating the forces of The Unknown, dangerous supernatural creatures who prey on humanity. Typical adventures involve the players investigating mysterious circumstances or locations and confronting The Unknown forces involved.

The Book
The product is provided in a box set format, comparable to the TSR Dungeons & Dragons editions of the early 80s. The set contains an introductory booklet, a book detailing the campaign setting and mechanics, a bestiary of monsters, an introductory adventure, as well as a world map highlighting supernatural locations and some cardboard player/creature markers to assist in more strategic play.

The eight page Introductory Folder indicates that it is meant to be read before any other game materials and provides a general introduction to roleplaying. The booklet also gives a brief introduction on how the game is played, as well as eight sample characters.

The sixty-four page Campaign Book provides the meat of the game and is divided into seven parts. Part one again introduces the game, while part two details the specifics of character stats, character creation, and character advancement. Part three details skills, including how they are ranked and what skills are available to choose from. Part four explains the general rules of play, including such key game elements as combat and damage. Part five provides details regarding interaction with NPC characters and includes such resources as a random reaction table for minor NPCs. Part six details The Art, the supernatural abilities that the characters possess to combat creatures of The Unknown, as well as introducing SAVE, the secret organization that the player characters belong to. Finally part seven provides information for the Chill Master on how to run the game and create adventure scenarios. The book is rounded out by some valuable reference tables and a character sheet. The booklet closes with an index that is fairly limited but does allow for reference to key topics.

The thirty-two page Horrors From The Unknown booklet details the creatures that the player characters will face in their adventures. The majority of the guide is devoted to The Evil Way, the various powers that the creatures of The Unknown can employ. Finally the stats for a small assortment of animals and creatures are provided, including such horror standards as zombies, werewolves, and vampires. The guide is rounded out by a table of Evil Way powers and creature record sheets. The booklet closes with a concise index.

The sixteen page introductory adventure, Terror In Warwick House, provides a classic module-style adventure in which the players investigate a haunted house. The scenario is a fairly straight ahead exploration, designed to allow both players and game master to become comfortable with the application of basic mechanics.

The full-sized wall map highlights such Unknown locations as the Bermuda Triangle, Easter Island, and Stonehenge. The reverse of the map provides a large graphed “battleboard”, for use in more strategic oriented play, as well as graphed maps to be used in the Terror In Warwick House adventure. Small, punched cardboard markers are provided for use with the battleboard.

The Look
The box set cover is presented in full colour, depicting a Victorian-era gentleman exploring a graveyard and about to be attacked by a creature, possibly a werewolf. This scene also appears on the cover of the Campaign Book. The Horrors of The Unknown cover is also in full color depicting some form of vampire or succubus. Both pictures evoke the sense of classical horror on which CHILL is based.

The internal text is presented in the traditional three-column format, typical to the early 80s. Table and charts appear in inserts as relevant. Interior artwork is black and white, depicting Victorian-era action scenes, often with a clear threat looming just out of frame.

The Setting
The setting of CHILL is very loosely defined in the game materials, being established more through the Victorian-era scenes depicted by the artwork and the brief section detailing SAVE. These two elements combine to depict a world much like our own in the late 1800’s, however riddle with deadly creatures of unknown origin. This is a world much as that found in Bram Stoker’s Dracula or Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

The one defining setting element provided is SAVE. This secret society of investigators of the supernatural provides a context for which the player party to be formed and for adventures to be undertaken.

The System
The central mechanic of the CHILL system is a percentile roll. Two forms of roll are made in CHILL, a general check and a specific check.

In a general check, a roll of equal or lesser value then the character’s statistical ranking in the relevant stat indicates success. Rolling above the ranking indicates failure.

A specific check follows a similar format, however if the initial roll is successful it now must be determined how successful the attempt was. The number rolled must now be subtracted from the relevant character stat. The difference is then compared to a chart referred to as the Action Table. This chart is divided by rows indicating the margin of difference and several columns of varying results, depending on the nature of the action being undertaken. Once the appropriate row and column have been determined a lettered code can be found. The meanings of the letter code appear on an additional chart, which details the specific effects achieved.

Combat is conducted using specific checks. Positive or negative modifiers are applied to the roll depending on circumstances, such as movement of attackers and ability to see. Damage is tracked in two fashions, using both a set number of wound states and a pool of total possible damage (i.e. hit points). Characters may take a number of minor wounds (called non-wound damage) equal to their stamina statistic. Characters may also suffer up to nine serious wounds (called wound damage). They may suffer up too two Scratches, two Light Wounds, two Medium Wounds, two Heavy Wounds, and one Critical Wound. If a player suffers one type of damage (e.g. Light Wound) and they have already suffered their maximum for that type (2) then they suffer the next highest level of damage (Medium Wound). When a character’s stamina reaches zero, and they have not suffered any wounds, they become unconscious. When a character’s stamina reaches zero, and they have suffered a critical would, they are dead.

Characters may also use The Art, good supernatural powers such as telepathy. Characters may spend from a pool of points based on their willpower statistic to improve their chances of success when using The Art.

Character creation is done randomly, using 3d10. Eight random numbers are rolled then applied to the eight basic stats (agility, dexterity, luck, perception, personality, stamina, strength, willpower). These stats are then used to calculate the character’s ranks in relevant skills.

Character advancement occurs through the acquisition and spending of Insight Points. The points may be used to improve the character’s basic stats, increase ranks in skills, or purchase new forms of The Art. Insight Points are awarded by the game master at the conclusion of each gaming session, based on good roleplaying and the achievement of adventure specific goals.

The Verdict
When determining the overall quality of a roleplaying product I look at two distinct factors, readability and usability. Readability is an indication of how easy it is to become immersed in the material, and accordingly, how easy it is to read the entirety of the product. Usability is an indication of how useful the product would be as a gaming resource and as a source of inspiration for players and/or game masters.

Both factors will be graded on a scale of 0 to 3, where 0 is Substandard, 1 is Average, 2 is Above Average, and 3 is Impeccable.

Readability: 1/3 (Average)
The quality and presentation of the information is done in the fairly dry manner of a book of rules. This can make reading the material something of an ordeal as it does not immerse the reader in the mood of the game; however each booklet is relatively short. Also the time period of the material must be taken into consideration, as this was the common format of the early 80’s and is therefore a forgivable sin.

Usability: 2/3 (Above Average)
The books are laid out in an understandable progression, with usable tables of contents and indexes. Also the box set format makes each booklet small and easy to manage. Combined with a fairly open and easily retrofitted setting CHILL is an exceptionally versatile RPG. My only criticism would be the somewhat over complicated Action Table, however this is a small quibble.

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