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The Good: The general setting information is a joy to read. Plot hooks are everywhere, and a Storyteller simply can’t fail to find several adventure ideas by reading some of the setting information. While many Charms are effectively reprints of the Solar Charms, they are sufficiently varied and flavorful to be unique.
The Bad: Necrotech creation and management is a little tedious for a game about epic heroes and villains. Information on the Underworld is noticeably lacking, having been included in a different product.
The Physical Thing
At $31.99 this 240 page black and white hardcover showcases excellent production values. The artwork sets the bleak tone of the product well, and the writing tends to be very good. Some chapters would benefit from an additional editing pass, but on the whole I have no complaints about the product.Under the Cover
I’m approaching this review on a chapter by chapter basis since each chapter is distinct and also because many products like this have different authors for each chapter which can result in a notable difference in quality.Chapter One The Chosen of the Void - 30 pages.
A well written introduction to what it means to be an Abyssal. In short, the Neverborn are the dead Primordials cast down towards the Abyss at the end of the great revolt. They’re angry because they can’t quite die, but neither are they alive. The more connections a thing has with creation the more it resists the pull of oblivion, and the Primordials are inherently connected to everything. They reasoned that the only way to truly die and escape their current fate is to completely destroy Creation and thereby remove their ties to anything other than the void.
To this end they recruited entities that became known as Deathlords to assist them. These fallen Solars swore away their names and destinies to serve the Neverborn, and in return were given incredible gifts. Their mission was and is to destroy all of Creation. Several attempts came close, such as the Great Contagion and the Fair Folk invasion, but success has thus far eluded the Deathlords.
The Deathlords decided they needed servants. They built a great monstrosity and had it assault the reservoir where Solar essences are stored to retrieve them for conversion to something more useful. The plan was only partially successful and the Deathlords got about 100 essences to play with. These were twisted to become Abyssal Exaltations and bestowed upon those favored servants and exceptional mortals willing to throw away their ties to the world and serve its destruction.
The Abyssals have a variety of interesting things going for and against them. They exist outside of Fate and so can’t be seen or tracked by the Sidereal Exalted. They’re weaker in Creation unless they surround themselves with the trappings of death. They can not shake off their mantle of evil, for doing good acts builds up a dark energy that ultimately works great evil in the world. Every one of them hears the whispers of the Neverborn, gently influencing them for the rest of their existence.
This chapter is an enjoyable read that does an excellent job of integrating the Abyssals into the rest of Creation. It forecasts the more technical information to be introduced later on and gives the reader an excellent idea of what Abyssals are about and what an Abyssal game is likely to focus on. Make no mistake, these are the bad guys and while they may be protagonists their very existence will work destruction on the world.
Chapter Two The Deathlords - 35 pages.
Nine of the thirteen Deathlords are detailed here, leaving the other four up to Storyteller discretion. Each Deathlord receives about four pages of detail focusing on history, domain, tactics, servants, and general demeanor. Each Deathlord is unique and interesting, though some of them are to be pitied more than feared.
The Deathlords aren’t fully detailed mechanically, but some attention is given to unique artifacts in their possession and how they approach one on one combat. Since these beings are more forces of nature than anything else they’re probably only suited as the capstone battle for a campaign, and even then the Storyteller is likely to invent many of the specifics for their own game.
For those new to the Deathlords you’re in for a treat. They’re very imaginative and plot hooks abound. In fact, the chapter can largely be viewed as plot hook fodder for the Storyteller. Explicit suggestions are frequently included, and the Deathlords have been written such that there is frequent infighting and many opportunities for characters to become embroiled in Underworld politics. Even a series that exclusively uses Deathlords as villains (such as a Solar only game) will still find plenty of useful ideas here, and it would be simple to structure a campaign around any one or two of the Deathlords.
Chapter Three Character Creation - 10 pages.
While the fiction and setting material are well written and engaging, the character creation options are also solid. Abyssal Exalted are dark reflections of the Solars, and in many ways they have very similar abilities. The Dusk, midnight, Daybreak, Day, and Moonshadow Castes are mostly copies of their respective Solar Castes and feature the same Ability affinities and character focuses. Attribute selection and general character power level remains the same.
One item to note is that characters gain more starting power if they serve a Deathlord. Rogue Deathknights are an option, but the system assumes that these characters simply don’t have access to the powerful armories and techniques of the Deathlords and accordingly receive fewer points to spend on Backgrounds at character creation.
Chapter Four Traits - 26 pages.
While they are the mirror image of Solars in many respects, Abyssals also have a variety of unique aspects that set them apart from all other Exalted. They are outside of fate and therefore difficult for Sidereals to deal with. Creation rejects them, causing them distress when they are outside of the Underworld. They can even grow fangs and feed on the living in order to restore Essence.
Backgrounds receive a slight overhaul. Some are intuitive, such as Familiar only applying to ghosts or predatory animals. Others are new and interesting, such as Whispers which reflects the degree to which the Abyssal Exalted can hear the words of the Neverborn. Spy networks, undead armies, and other appropriately epic backgrounds are also included to enable Deathknights to be frightening agents of oblivion.
In addition to new Backgrounds and an overview of each of the Abyssal Exalted Castes this chapter introduces the concept of Resonance. Resonance builds up when an Abyssal avoids their nature. Performing good deeds, embracing the Abyssal’s old name, and certain other activities cause Resonance to build. When Resonance unleashes it works great evil on the world. People the Abyssal loved die in horrific ways. Shadowlands form, the Abyssal bleeds from illusionary wounds, or the Abyssal becomes exceptionally monstrous in appearance. An Abyssal who tries to fight her evil nature will find she only works greater evil on the world over time.
Chapter Five Charms - 73 pages.
Many, perhaps a majority, of the Charms introduced here are dark reflections of Solar Charms. The abilities are a little different at times, taking into account the underworld nature of Abyssal powers, but for the most part the Abyssals are slinging the same powers around that the Solars are. This makes a lot of sense seeing as how the Abyssals are twisted Solar exaltations, and it’s especially handy for any group that wants to have Abyssals or Solars crossing over to join the other team.
Plenty of new Charms are included as well, wonderfully flavored for the Abyssal Exalted. Consider the pinnacle Charm for War, Omnipresent Overlord Technique. It enables the Abyssal to possess a front line unit while evading any personal harms. It’s beautiful in execution, especially for a villain, since it allows for a confrontation with the Abyssal but no possibility of final death for the Abyssal.
Killing Words Technique, meanwhile, forces the target of social attacks to spend lethal health levels to resist mental influence instead of Willpower. It’s yet another of the many deliciously evil Charms included here, and I mention it because I love how dark and vicious many of the Abyssal Charms are. Nothing says dread lord quite like opponents bleeding from the eyes in an attempt to withstand a murderous order.
I’m no expert on Charm balance, but I do find the Abyssal Charms to be creative, fun, and desirable for play. While I can pick out a few flaws here and there, or Charms that are much more useful for antagonists than PCs, on the whole I’m very pleased with the Charm selection and look forward to making use of it in play.
Chapter Six Necrotech, the Science of Death - 30 pages.
The goal here is to provide a system for designing undead weapons of war. With the appropriate collection of skills, enough time, and enough materials anything can be created using the simple system introduced. In some ways this can spur a campaign forward. If the players want to invade a city in Creation then it might be worthwhile to put in the time and resources to have great machines of war created to aid in the assault.
Unfortunately, the entire system is a little tedious. While the system used isn’t too complex, gathering the materials and investing the time to put these war machines together seems a little on the micromanagement side for a game of epic fantasy. On the plus side, however, the examples are very imaginative and do aid the Storyteller in coming up with ideas for necrotic war machines. If you have the time and want to carefully create a variety of monstrous machines then you’ll have fun with this addition.
Chapter Seven Abyssal Storytelling - 13 pages.
Considering the complexity of these heroes and villains it’s understandable that Storytelling them can be difficult. While the suggestions aren’t exceptional, they do a good job of walking the reader through a variety of campaign possibilities. The extreme power of the Deathlords, in particular, is addressed. While I’m not overly thrilled with suggestions that the Storyteller ignore the rules for Deathlords, I do appreciate the sheer variety of campaign ideas presented.
My Take
Abyssals is an excellent product. The history of the Abyssal Exalted, their role in the setting, and the imaginative mechanics behind play are all well constructed. I do wish there was some setting material here. I understand why it was split off to a separate product, but I find the Abyssal Exalted to be difficult to play without additional setting support. I’d happily run or play Abyssal Exalted with what’s presented here, and I think that’s a fine standard for a good product.Help support RPGnet by purchasing this item through DriveThruRPG.
