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The name’s Davenport. I review games.
So the other day, Jeff Combos of Exile Game Studio stopped by. He didn’t bust through the floor this time, which was good, and he wasn’t wearin’ a crazy mind-readin’ helmet either.
What he did have with him was a fuzzy little fella with a pointy snout, big and nasty claws, and beady little eyes.
“Meet Brr’kick’kar!” Jeff says. “He’s a moleman – one of the many races I’ve been studying for Mysteries of the Hollow Earth!”
The moleman mutters and clicks at me. Guess that meant “hello.”
“That’s great and all,” I says, “but I thought you already had molemen covered in the core rulebook for Hollow Earth Expedition.”
“Oh, that was nothing!” Jeff says. “I’ve gone way more in depth this time.
“Heh heh. ‘In depth.’ See what I did there?”
“Uh, yeah,” I says. “You were sayin’…?”
“Oh, right!” he says. “Well, this time I’ve studied the cultures, beliefs, and languages of all sorts of Hollow Earth natives! And I’ve got details on a bunch of great locations I’ve discovered, and a whole slew of new creatures, and shamanism, and alchemy…!”
“Okay, okay, I get it,” I says. “This new book of yours has the real skinny on the Hollow Earth. But what’s the moleman here for?”
The moleman mumbles again.
“Brr’kick’kar?” he says. “He’s here to help you review the book!”
“Help me review the book?” I says. “I can’t understand a word he says. How’s he supposed to help me crack the mysteries of the Hollow Earth?”
“Hey, it always helps to have a mole on the inside!”
Substance
NOTE: Due to the nature of this supplement, pretty much all of the contents could be considered spoilers – especially if the PCs are surface worlders. As a result, this review is loaded with spoilers, too. I would advise potential players wanting to experience the full joy of exploration to proceed with extreme caution.
Rite of Passage
As befits the focus of the supplement, this bit of intro fiction is told from the perspective of a Hollow Earth native – a huntress on the trail of a velociraptor. Naturally, the hunt doesn’t go as planned… Like the intro fiction in the core rulebook and Secrets of the Surface World, the story relates to the sample adventure in the back of the book, albeit in a fairly loose manner.
Introduction
This is just a brief description of the nature and contents of the book. The most noteworthy information is the fact that this book allows for adventures taking place entirely within the Hollow Earth, including nothing but Hollow Earth natives.
Chapter 1: Characters
Archetypes
This subsection presents several new Archetypes particularly suited to natives of the Hollow Earth: Barbarian, Beastman, Guardian, Healer, Mystic, Native, Outcast, and Warrior. I’m not really sure how “Beastman” and “Native” serve as archetypes, since individuals of these sorts will vary wildly, but that’s a minor issue.
MotivationsWorking under the theory that most motivations are universal, this section offers only three new ones: Glory, Preservation, and Wisdom.
SkillsThe book includes only one new skill – Alchemy – which is detailed in the Supernatural Powers chapter. However, the section expands upon the zero-level Skill concept from Secrets of the Surface World, listing the culture-appropriate zero-level Skills for the various natives and beastmen of the Hollow Earth.
TalentsLike Secrets of the Surface World, this supplement really kicks into high gear with the introduction of new Talents. In this case, the real standouts are the beastman-specific Talents like Chameleon, Echolocation, and Venom, although the assorted riding tricks are pretty nifty as well. The revamped Animal Affinity Talent now allows for Tarzan-like influence over animals, and a series of Size-related Talents allow Titan characters (see below) to eventually attain the size of a T. rex! (Not at character creation, mind you – but still!)
Also included are Transmutation, the prerequisite for the Alchemy Skill, and Breath of Life, necessary for the alchemical creation of living artifacts.
ResourcesThe chapter includes one new Resource: Animal Followers. This allows characters to have animal companions of pretty much any sort, so long as they can afford the level of Resource required – like the Animal Affinity Talent, a must for Tarzan types. Because this includes riding animals, the section also covers the ins and outs of beast riding – whether the beast in question is willing or not.
FlawsEven more so than the Talents, the new Flaws focus on characters of a bestial nature, literal or figurative – among these, Clipped Wings, Cold-blooded, De-clawed, Flea-infested, Territorial, Herd Mentality, and (naturally) Bestial.
Character TemplatesConsidering the general stinginess with which HEX treats Talents, I was a little leery of how this sourcebook would handle the creation of beastman characters. I needn’t have worried. Each beastman species (and Titans, who are technically human) comes with a set of balanced Attribute adjustments, natural advantages, and inherent Flaws that can be applied to any character. For example, a Pantherman character has +1 Dexterity, -1 Intelligence, +1 Willpower, claws that do 0L damage, and the Primitive Flaw. Players simply substitute their characters’ free Talent selection for the desired template.
Furthermore, the section includes rules for the creation of completely new beastman templates at the GM’s discretion, allowing for characters of previously unknown species. (The section presents the creation of a Yeti template to illustrate these rules, effectively adding an extra pregenerated beastman template to the mix.)
Sample CharactersThe book presents the most diverse group of sample characters yet, from across the range of cultures and species introduced:
- Amazon Warrior
- Cargo Cult Alchemist
- Natural Philosopher (a blunderbus-packing apeman)
- Noble Beastmaster (Tarzan!)
- Shadow Stalker (pantherman)
- Sky Raider (hawkman)
- Titan Berserker
- Tribal Shaman (lizardman)
I love the selection, although the limitations of HEX character creation means that several of them aren’t nearly as tough as their descriptions make them sound – the Amazon and the Noble Beastmaster, in particular.
Chapter 2: Supernatural Powers
Shamanism
Secrets of the Surface World was pretty light on its coverage of magic. The shamanism section of this book goes a long way to making up for that.
Shamanism is treated as another form of Sorcery and operates under the same rules described in Secrets of the Surface World. The fact that you’ll need the latter sourcebook to make use of the new shamanism rules may be a turnoff for some. On the bright side, while Secrets offered only one ritual per rank up to 5, this sourcebook presents 3 per rank. That may not make for a massive grimoire, but it does allow for a whole lot more customization. Furthermore, the ritual selection includes a nice balance of informational, utilitarian, and offensive spells – we finally discover what that native pictured in the core rulebook was using to blow up that Nazi zeppelin, for example.
AlchemyAlchemy works as a sort of magical counterpart to the weird science introduced in Secrets of the Surface World, and uses a very similar system of Enchantments and Drawbacks to determine creation difficulty and Artifact Level. On the whole, alchemy is a bit more flexible, since every alchemical design uses the Alchemy Skill rather than the various sciences required for weird science designs. However, like weird science, the actual creation of the device requires the use of an appropriate Craft Skill. Also, balancing this greater flexibility is the need for a number of hard-to-find “alchemical catalysts” for the creation based upon the creation’s size – animal talismans, rare herbs, orichalcum, etc. This requirement perfectly suits the alchemical methodology and can be the source of many adventures on its own.
I especially like the Cargo Cultist manifestation of alchemy, which makes use of the surface world items they so covet. Imagine the fun of a mystic not only misinterpreting the proper use of a surface world item – thinking a telephone is a powerful weapon, for example – but also magically getting it to produce the misunderstood effect!
I also like the fact that alchemical creations can create magical rituals. Although there aren’t all that many pre-written rituals from which to choose, this capability does mean that alchemy has the potential to create a more varied range of effects than does weird science.
Sample artifacts include a Teddy bear voodoo doll, an animated jaguar statue, a bow that fires lightning bolts, and a pair of suspiciously familiar Amazon bracers that can deflect bullets.
Chapter 3: Natives
Mysteries details eight cultures native to the Hollow Earth. Each description includes the natives’ culture, beliefs, society, language (including sample names), zero-level Skills, and a sample NPC:
- Amazons
- Cannibals
- Cargo Cultists
- Neanderthals
- Noble Savages
- Pirates
- Titans
- Vril-ya
The text truly breathes life into each native culture with a remarkable degree of verisimilitude – more than might be expected for a pulp game. The Neanderthals are based more on current scientific thinking, for example, rather than on the traditional grunting caveman stereotype. If that detracts a bit from the pulp mood, it’s a tradeoff I’m more than willing to make for the vibrant world that results – a world that can produce equally vibrant PCs.
Neanderthals notwithstanding, most of the natives are what you’d expect. The Titans and the Vril-ya require a bit of explanation, however. The former is a race of humans who never stop growing – the source of the giants of legend. The latter were the servants of the Atlanteans who have taken on the mantle of their former masters – and with it, all of the mysterious high-tech goodies they can manage to figure out.
Chapter 4: Beastmen
The book introduces or expands upon eight species of human/animal hybrids:
- Apemen
- Gillmen
- Greenmen
- Hawkmen
- Lizardmen
- Mantismen
- Molemen
- Panthermen
The chapter reveals that the apemen described in the core rulebook – the large, shaggy creatures that this book confirms are, indeed, sasquatches – are only one variety of these beastmen. The others have more in common with the apes of Planet of the Apes fame: upright, intelligent gorillas, chimpanzees, and so on. They make an excellent addition to the setting.
Gillmen have two cultures: peaceful shallows-dwelling gillmen and hostile deep-dwelling gillmen who worship a kraken-like deity that speaks to them through dreams. (Hmmm…) They can survive perfectly well out of the water, making them feasible PCs.
Greenmen are plant/human hybrids that the book portrays exactly as alien as such creatures should be. I love the fact that while most of them are serene photosynthetic types drawing all their nutrients from the sun and soil, others see feeding on decaying plants as cannibalistic and follow a carnivorous lifestyle instead. On the other hand, I think greenmen should have some form of damage resistance to piercing attacks, since they’re described as having no internal organs.
When I first read “hawkmen,” I expected something along the lines of those seen in Flash Gordon. But no – in keeping with the “beastman” theme, these creatures have not only the wings of hawks, but the heads and legs of hawks as well. They do, however, have a flying city…
Lizardmen and panthermen are what you’d expect, pretty much. Molemen get a much more detailed treatment here than they do in the core rulebook, and frankly, are a lot creepier. And mantismen are flat-out weird, having generally insectoid bodies and double-folded forearms ending in three-fingered hands. They even practice their own form of martial art that takes advantage of their strange physiology.
The beastmen all get the same treatment as do the natives in the preceding chapter: culture, beliefs, society, language (including sample names), zero-level Skills, and a sample NPC. Also like the natives, the beastmen are far more nuanced than might be expected from pulp creatures. None of them are purely good or evil, and any of them could make excellent allies, enemies, or PCs. Again, I think the tradeoff works, making for a fully fleshed-out setting.
Chapter 5: The Hollow Earth
The chapter begins with a welcome in-depth discussion of three quirks of the Hollow Earth – time distortion, accelerated healing, and finding a way out – then goes on to highlight some locations of note:The Aerie: The hovering city of the hawkmen, its Atlantean-made engines slowly wearing down…
Atlantis: The mobile island capital of the ancient Atlantean empire, now ruled by the decadent Vril-ya with their ray guns, flying saucers, and massive weather-control device.
Blood Bay: The wretched hive of scum and villainy that serves as the largest pirate settlement in the Hollow Earth. Beware of Vikings packing Tommy guns aboard lost ocean liners converted to sail…
El Dorado: The legendary City of Gold, where those seeking its fabled treasure risk being sacrificed to the Sun God by the xenophobic inhabitants.
Moletown: The largest moleman city, home to their bizarre subterranean stockyards, their Artifact Chamber, and the forbidden Temple of the Worm God.
Shangri-La: A hidden, tranquil paradise defended by Yeti and host to a deadly martial arts tournament.
The Sunken City: A broken and submerged Atlantean metropolis, tilting down into the abyss. On the shallow side live the peaceful gillmen. On the other side live the nefarious Deep Gillmen, and, deeper still, their tentacular god, the Great Maw.
Twilight Regions: The strange, icy, mist-shrouded lands and seas comprising the transitions between the polar openings and the Hollow Earth, lit by neither the inner nor outer sun. Inhabitants in the South are few; in the North, they include the nomadic “Sled People” and a certain huge, stitched-together hermit…
Chapter 6: Bestiary
Mysteries features a mammoth (pardon the pun) bestiary. Many of the creatures previously appeared in the core rulebook, but here they’ve been revamped to fit the new creature creation rules and have been given Follower ratings.But here, I’ll let the big, beautiful bestiary speak for itself:
- Dinosaurs
- Allosaurus
- Ankylosaurus
- Archaeopteryx
- Brontosaurus
- Compsognathus
- Hadrosaurus
- Iguanodon
- Ornithornimus
- Oviraptor
- Pachycephalosaurus
- Protoceratops
- Spinosaurus
- Stegosaurus
- Therizinosaurus
- Triceratops
- Tyrannosaurus Rex
- Velociraptor
- Prehistoric Reptiles
- Archelon
- Ichthyosaurus
- Kronosaurus
- Ornithocheirus
- Plesiosaurus
- Sarcosuchus
- Prehistoric Mammals
- Andrewsarchus
- Archaeotherium
- Aurochs
- Brontotherium
- Cave Bear
- Chalicotherium
- Dire Wolf
- Dorudon
- Elasmotherium
- Entelodont
- Hagerman Horse
- Glyptodon
- Hyaenodon
- Irish Elk
- Megatherium
- Paraceratherium
- Smilodon
- Woolly Mammoth
- Woolly Rhinoceros
- Arthropods
- Arthropleura
- Meganeura
- Pterygotus
- Other Prehistoric Creatures
- Dunkleosteus
- Gastornis
- Koolasuchus
- Megalodon
- Megafauna
- Giant Ant
- Giant Ape
- Giant Centipede
- Giant Crab
- Giant Mantid
- Giant Mosquito
- Giant Scorpion
- Giant Spider
- Giant Wasp
- Kraken
- Leviathan
- Roc
- Wild Animals
- Anaconda
- Bear
- Boar
- Bull
- Camel
- Cat, Large
- Chimpanzee
- Cobra
- Crocodile
- Deer
- Dolphin
- Donkey
- Eagle
- Elephant
- Gorilla
- Hippopotamus
- Horse
- Lion
- Monkey
- Owl
- Piranha
- Rat
- Rhinoceros
- Seal
- Shark
- Tiger
- Walrus
- Whale
- Wolf
- Zebra
Impressive, no? And keep in mind that the chapter includes creature creation rules, just in case this list doesn’t do it for you. (Said rules include stats for a giant octopus, for the record.) Furthermore, listings include related animals that are similar enough to use the same stats.
I do wish the mundane animals had appeared in Secrets of the Surface World, but better late than never.
I should mention that for the most part, the creature descriptions err on the side of scientific accuracy rather than pulpiness; e.g., plesiosaurs are more interested in eating fish than eating sailors. That’s not a huge deal, of course, since GMs can have plesiosaurs eat whatever they like. And velociraptor fans needn’t fear scientific nerfing, at least: the chapter handles them Jurassic Park style, with the explanation that the Hollow Earth variety grows larger than did its surface world cousins.
Sample Adventure: Fate of Atlantis
Fate of Atlantis takes a very different approach from the two previous sample adventures. This time, the PCs are assumed to be Hollow Earth natives. Given the difficulty of getting a diverse group of that sort together, the adventure forces the issue: the heroes start the adventure as gladiatorial prisoners of the Vril-ya on Atlantis. They must work together to defeat dinosaurs, Vril-ya, and Nazis in order to win freedom for themselves and their fellow prisoners.StyleWhile I like the premise, the adventure left me a little underwhelmed. For one thing, I wish there were more of an opening to use surface world characters. As it is, if you have an ongoing HEX game, this will have to be either a one-shot or the start of a separate campaign. And because the adventure features characters from the adventures in the two previous books, their presence in this adventure might not even make any sense for your game. I also think the adventure raises the stakes far too quickly, giving the PCs the chance to learn the truth about the Vril-ya and overthrow their corrupt government in their first encounter with Atlantis. Finally, the adventure relies too heavily on mass combats of the sort that Ubiquity isn’t really designed to handle as of yet.
Still, if you do want to get a diverse group of Hollow Earth natives together and give them a reason to stay together, the basic concept works. I’d just have them escape from Atlantis and have to work together to find their way home.
The artwork, writing, editing, and organization all keep the high standards set by the previous products in the line. If anything, the writing exceeds the work done before in its flavorful descriptions of the cultures, creatures, and locations of the Hollow Earth.
Conclusion
As I said in my review of the core rulebook, the author immediately struck me as a man with a vision. When it came to this sourcebook, part of me worried that he wouldn’t be able to fulfill the promise of that vision – that he’d just set the bar too high for himself.
I needn’t have worried. Mysteries of the Hollow Earth creates a pulp wonderland that could keep a group happily busy for years on end. In fact, I would go so far as to say that I enjoyed this book more than I did the core rulebook, which is saying something indeed. In short, if you enjoy HEX – or even if you’re just looking for a new setting for a different game entirely – do not hesitate to purchase this book.
SUBSTANCE:
- Setting
- Quality = 5.0
- Quantity = 5.0
- Rules
- Quality = 5.0
- Quantity = 5.0
STYLE:
- Artwork = 5.0
- Layout/Readability = 5.0
- Organization = 5.0
- Writing = 5.0
- Proofreading Penalty = n/a
- Organization = 5.0
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