Review of Survival Kit #1

"As the night rolls in and the lights go down, you hear them coming - the Players. They close in, howling for adventure. You must satisfy them, but you are unprepared! You need an idea, fast!"

MetalMan's Review of "Survival Kit #1" by Spectre Press

GMs by nature are a harried lot... not only do they usually pay for the books and snacks, but they also have a bunch of people who come prepared to game regardless of such things as your own social life, horrible workweek, etc. Spectre Press has obviously been there and, as a result, have produced the first of many themed "Survival Kits" to help.

The Premise:
Each Survival Kit is a hodge-podge of useful adventure seeds, visuals and props. Each kit makes use of "Phantom Statistics" that provide general guidelines for converting the contents to whatever game you run. This review will not focus on these mechanics. The Phantom Conversion Rules is available for free as is a sample Survival Kit if you want to try before you buy.

What Ya Get:
Survival Kit #1 is available as multiple Adobe Acrobat (PDF) files. The complete printout of all the contents will equal 39 pages. You will need to have the Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer or a similiar program capable of rendering the PDF format. The file also comes zip-compressed so you will need a program such as WinZip to uncompress the file before you can view the contents.

Cost:
Survival Kit #1 will cost you $3.50 USD and is available through RPGnet Mall.

Appearance:
The contents of #1 are above average for most PDF products. All of the text is very well laid-out and organized. I found few typographical errors but I'm not a professional editor either. The interior art is very well done with many being professional-grade work that you would find in published books. The consideration of splitting up the kit into individually printed sections is going to be a point of contention for some people but I enjoyed the foresight that you would only need to print out the section(s) that you were going to need.

The Contents (in no particular order):
Rogues Gallery: Space Rogues - this section comes as two individual files so that you can have your choice of a black and white version or full color. These are simply two full-body illustrations per page that could be used for PC or NPC portraits. The black and white illustrations seem slightly weaker than their colored versions, but the enterprising person could import it into a graphics program such as Photoshop to apply their own color job if the color scheme for the colored file doesn't jibe with your vision. You get ten characters total: An obviously cybered guy, a sword-wielding male mercenary, a female space pirate, a male assassin, a male with pistol and knife, a cloaked pistol-wielding mystery man, a male cyborg, a female rogue, an obsese female with a small gun and a bald male with some sort of arm blaster attachment. In addition, you recieve a sheet of folding paper minis of these characters for you to use if you need them.

The Chatterlings - this is a seven page file that details a new type of mutated creature. It is written up as a debriefing of Captain Arthur Mkeze, the fictional sole survivor of a military operation that ran afoul of these beasts. Ordinarily, I'd be a little miffed about six pages of exposition on a single creature, but the way that it is handled makes for a wonderful player handout or a semi-complete sequence of events that a GM could use to detail the events leading up to and including the encounter. It does smack a little of Aliens, but thats a comparison that most man vs. beast conflicts are going to take when dealing with science fiction. The final page is dedicated to the Phantom Statistics of the creature.

The Silver Bullet: Thogrot - this is a quick two page writeup of a creature that the GM could include in their game. It lists the Phantom Statistics on the first page along with an awesome illustration that should make most players wet themselves in fear. The Thograt excretes noxious gases from its hide that can be breathed in or absorbed through exposed skin. The second page details their physiology, home planet as well as potential plot ideas on how to incorporate the Thograt. The Thograt is only a marginal idea in my opinion although some of the supporting details are very good. Good for about a single game session but limited usefulness thereafter, but that's the whole concept behind the Silver Bullet section anyway.

Disposable Heroes - these are two files (black and white and color) that contain more folding paper minis like those found in the Rogues Gallery section. These are simply amazing and there should be some major credit given to the artist, Yoosuk Chung. They're as good, if not better, than any other standup paper minis that I've seen. You get thirty characters in all. However, this brings me to my one minor complaint... they're all fantasy figures in an otherwise exclusively SF kit. I don't have that much of a problem with it but I would have rather had SF minis and held these off until the fantasy-themed kit.

U.N. Forgiven - this is a ten page adventure written up using the Phantom Statistics system. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that you get five pages of adventure and an additional five of NPC/creature stats and maps. A mysterious religious cult has done the impossible and purchased a space station only to loose contact with it a few months later. The players are called in to investigate. There they have to stop a trio of superpowered mercenaries as well as a mad plot to discredit other religions. This adventure, depending on your game, could require some hefty modification. It currently reads like a cross between "G.I. Joe in space" and a bloody fantasy/horror setting. This could work for some Aberrant or Shadowrun campaigns (depending on the tone of the GM's games) but is probably going to be unusable or a stretch for most.

Lance P. Bellwether III, Criminal Mastermind - as the title suggests, this is a three page writeup of a villain that you could have your players cross paths or swords with. The villain is only so-so in my opinion and is much like Bill Gates if he became even more evil than he already is. However, that's the problem with most masterminds as villains - they tend to work so much behind the scenes that it is to their detriment. However, if you're good at GMing these types of wealthly manipulators, this could be a good villain for your game. The plot hooks provided are only ones that we've all seen before, but they are tried and true. The final page is the Phantom Statistics for him.

Overall Impression:
As can be expected, Survival Kit #1 is a mixed bag. The art is exceptional so, if you buy products for their visual flair, this will be right up your alley. The paper minis are also professional quality which is a big selling point if you like more minis (and who doesn't?). Actual useable material for you campaign is probably going to run either hot or cold as I can't really be a judge of every GMs individual campaigns. There was enough material in here to justify the $3.50 price tag for me although your milage may vary. Either way, it's less than the cost of a meal at a fast food place and definately worth your consideration.

MetalMan signing off.