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One o’Clock Wake-up is a good introduction for players new to the ORE system and the Godlike setting. Player characters are regular Joes, lacking the Talents (super powers) core to the game, but the action moves along nicely giving players a unique perspective to other Godlike scenarios.
Content
It leads off with a short historical reference to frame the scene. The introduction does a good job of setting the mental state of the characters in the harsh realities of war. A high level view of the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 is provided. This view ultimately funnels down to the executive decision of a desperate US Army Major that sets up the action. The player-characters suffer that decision.
The descriptions of the encounters are laid out in a nice progression. It’s content is perfect for a novice Godlike GM. Enemy movements are choreographed on a simple timeline chart so some encounters will depend on when and where the players go. Conversely, the players are not led around by the nose and can go any direction they like to achieve their goal. Within the tactical nature of the mission, there are ample opportunities to role-play and leverage the non-combat skills of player characters if they can survive long enough to use them.
There are 13 pre-generated player characters, so it’s easy to jump in a get started. They are soldiers of the 112th Regiment and 7th Armored Division of the US Army. Although the characters lack Talents, this scenario could provide a good jumping off point for a campaign. One of the authors ran follow-up sessions where the players wondered aloud, “If I were a Talent…” while huddled in their foxholes. Much to their surprise during subsequent action one of the Talents they had talked about earlier manifested in a player-character. Inspiration can be found in this short product.
As a PDF-only product it is easy to print out the GM/Player aids provided within.
Conclusion
If you are eager to try out Godlike as a player or GM this is a good place to start. It offers the same great flavor of the core game in a bite-sized chunk (and at a bargain price). The only thing missing is the “We go first!” shoulder patch.
It’s equally enjoyable for those familiar with Godlike. The lack of Talents adds some tension and provides a nice one-off session to get a quick fix.
Layout: above-average – The scenario offers the same nice layout of the core Godlike books.
Content: average – it is meant as a one-shot scenario and in only eight pages it accomplishes its intent.
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