By C. Demetrius Morgan
Action! System, what is it?
The name given to a set of rules, specifically a role-playing rules system, as developed by Mark Arsenault and Patrick Sweeney and owned and distributed by GRG (Gold Rush Games).
Why are you reviewing this?
Because it has recently gone OGL and, having DLed the main file, I thought others might be interested. I will outline my observations as briefly as possible but, since many systems manage to evade the radar of the public at large, be advised that visiting GRGs site (http://www.goldrushgames.com/) to supplement this review will probably be helpful.
Why should I care about yet *another* system going OGL?
Besides the fact GRG lets you DL the rules for free and doesn't ask anything in return, no reason. If you prefer D20, don't want to take the time to learn a new system, or feel your horizons don't need broadening then I apologize for wasting your time.
For everyone else:
On the surface the system appears to be bland with little to lift it above the constant shower of role-playing game systems that emerge from the clouds hovering above the Isle of Inspiration from year to year. Until one peers beneath the surface, where one discerns a subtle fusion of elements that place Action! System somewhere between the classic fantasy systems full of crunchy goodness of yesteryear and the open-ended "concept" driven systems of recent years. Though if there are any two systems that one could point to as being spiritual predecessors of AS it would have to be GURPS and Lords of Creation.
GURPS because there are few other systems that immediately spring to mind with such detailed Advantages and Disadvantages intended for general generic use out of the box. The Trait system is very well put together in that regard. However, for those wanting Traits specific to a high tech or high fantasy milieu there will be some legwork required to expand the material in the OGL document.
Lord of Creations because the system is eclectic, intended to be used in a range of milieus, and across multiple genre settings. Alas AS is not quite as flavorful as the LoC rules were out of the box. While there are thumbnail rules for creation power systems there is no native Psionic rules or meta-magic system. The lack of such rules is thus a major blow for those wishing to those who may wish to apply these rules to fantasy or even science fantasy settings.
Now to strip the meaty bits off the bone.
The core Action! System uses a resolution mechanic based on 3D6, has six main Attributes, uses a Skill system that ties into Attributes, and provides three basic "campaign levels" that set the tone for the style of game to be played. The system can be fine tuned for play either as: Realistic, Cinematic, or Extreme; and these "campaign levels" reveal a lot about the basic goals of the system. For instance the "Realistic" setting is, as you would think, gaming in a relatively modern or post-modern world. Nothing special there. Whereas "Cinematic" is meant to encompass the not quite real world as might be portrayed in the movies, and thus can be considered the catch-all genre channel for action, fantasy heroes, and hard-boiled dicks. Then there is "Extreme", a setting that isn't really needed in a system that could just as well stopped at "real" and "not real", until you realize that this is actually what the "Extreme" setting is.
So, to sum up the above, the system is essentially meant to power game that are firmly rooted in reality, more or less.
Document Negatives: The rules may be "too realistic" in what they attempt to simulate for the tastes of some, thus making the core rules probably best suited to games heavy on detail and character interaction. Not a true generic or universal system "out of the box" and thus in need of work.
Document Positives: Everything is laid out in the document in a straightforward manner, there is a glossary, and much of the "how do you play" text is provided so you don't have to write your own from scratch. The Trait and Skills system are not tied to any specific milieu or genre setting. With a few OGL plug-ins any perceived minor flaws in genre specific system rules could be easily patched. If you've ever downloaded the free PDF of the core rules for the Action! System then you've probably seen much of what is in the RTF version of the OGL document.
Finally, because this may be a positive or a negative, based upon your point of view, the core rules seem to be best applied as a foundational template. If you like how the system works and don’t mind working with it then Action! System may be a good choice for you. However if you’d prefer a system that provides you with a toolkit of plug-ins that you can use to build your system with only a little tweaking on your part then this may not be for you. But there is only one way to decide, download the document and read it first hand.
Happy gaming!
