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Review of Excavator Monthly Compendium
But is it any good? Well, let me start with an overview of the contents, and get back to you on that.
First we have the GM’s Bunker, a collection of essays aimed at GMs (although players could read them too without hurting anything). There’s stuff on helping players deal with character similarity, a look at the economics of bullets as a currency, tips for turn time limits for players, encouraging players to take on the role of NPCs, some ideas for player handouts, random tables for secret missions for individual characters, and probably a couple of other things I’m missing besides. Some of it is pretty basic stuff, but for those new to gaming it might prove helpful, and it might help old timers too by refreshing their memory or showing them something new.
The chapter on Player’s Perspective is all about players getting into the spirit of the setting. Randomized tables to generate goals and drives, other tables to help generate reasons for the group forming beyond “someone paid you to get along”, and still other tables to help generate what apocalypse myths a character might believe. Sure a group may have their own ideas on these elements, but for those who can’t come up with anything (or want to randomize some NPCs’ personalities) it can be pretty handy. There’s also stuff talking about how groups might want to consider stashing their gear, or establishing places to meet if they get separated that are simultaneously paranoid and yet fitting for the style of game play fans likely want (and I say this as a feature of Mutant Epoch, not in condemnation of it).
The PC Generation Vat is where we get a bit crunchier, if short. It starts by offering a randomized character generator based on a sampling of stereotypical post-apocalyptic character types. The system is functional enough to allow groups to rapidly roll up characters for use as NPCs or even PCs, but I suspect players will likely prefer sticking to the traditional method of character generation anyways. Plus, not every option of traditional character creation is offered; the system offers a wider usability by removing some stereotypes. The chapter wraps up with two new skills detailed: Acrobatics (as in a formally trained level of skill) and Archery (which also includes a section on different bows in the game).
There’s also a section titled Inhabitants that covers a dozen different individuals in the setting. None of whom are too world shattering in terms of importance, although a few are working towards it. We have a “snitch and spy”, a guide, and an assassin, a couple of bounty hunters, a bogeyman mutant cannibal, some mercenaries, a would-be world conqueror, a bandit leader, and a drug dealer.
In the section on Evolutions, we get new mutant critters to play with. Specifically, a horrible carnivorous blobby thing, a nasty mutant pig, a spined humanoid, a… hideous weird bird fungus thing, a horrible worm bug thing, a disgusting mouthy thing, a nasty giant spider, a nasty giant spider thing (don’t worry, you won’t confuse it with the previous nasty giant spider), four-eyed carnivorous perches, a degenerate breed of humans used as riding beasts, and five other living nightmares besides. Honestly, it’s weird, disgusting, and feels like a collection of horrible mutant critters you’ll want to throw at your players, regardless of what post-apocalyptic game you’re playing. But beyond that, there’s also a dozen “tiny terrors” that explore the idea of what horrible –little- mutant freaks would be like. Think “earthworms now have poisonous barbed stingers” and you’re on the right track.
Next up is Relics Recovered, and it’s decent but brief. By that I mean we have 13 new devices that are basically modern tech with a few twists perhaps. The Survival Pistol does for handguns what survival knives did for the Bowie blade. Motion sensors and tac-harnesses appear, as does a few guns and other bits. The high points for me, where the game starts going gonzo, are the laser-tipped bullets and the energy shield (more of a buckler really), which are pretty much just what they sound like. I will add that it seemed like the semi-automatic sniper rifle was missing a stat block, which was a shame.
Next up is Articles, Fiction, & Treasure Tables, which is a hodge podge of stuff in a book devoted to being a hodge podge. Starting off is an interesting little bit on spiderborgs, which was one of the high points of the entire book for me. Spiderborgs are humans who form tribes around the idea of lopping off their legs and getting grafted to a spider-legged cybernetic frame. Getting converted is seen as a rite of passage into adulthood for these tribes, and there are different styles of spiderborg frame used. While I found myself wondering who built the advanced components of these frames and maintained them, I ultimately decided I might be overthinking things a bit too much. A few pages on solo-play (I don’t get it, but to each their own), some stuff on ancient currencies and how they might apply in the Mutant Epoch, some stuff on why bows and slings would be the most common weapon for armed forces in the setting, a little post-apocalyptic horror story I rather enjoyed, some relevant websites fans of the genre (if not the game) should check out, a section on working more horror into the game, a collection of random treasure tables, and more besides. One of the better written pieces yet also most out of place, would be the line developer talking about his time making coffee at Starbucks for Mel Gibson; a cynic would say it’s a waste of paper, a fan would say it’s a waste of paper but still a fun little story and a look into the developer’s life. Either way, at less than three pages in a book of 260, I’d recommend people to just suck it up; plus, I’m sure it seemed more fitting when it was in the editorial section of the magazine version of this book, and was kept as much for the sake of being complete as anything else.
Rounding out the book are reproductions of the covers, minus any cover text, and a fairly comprehensive index. And I’ll admit, I’m glad the covers are included as well, as I always enjoy McAusland’s art.
Style: If 3 is an average, I’ll go with a high 3. Layout is functional, art is excellent and abundant, while editing is pretty bad in places. I figure this is the kind of book fans of the genre would enjoy opening up and looking at the pictures and perhaps read a bit, which is what pushes the style rating up. But then the editing and overall “feel” drag it down. I do think that for a bunch of magazines that had been collected and reprinted as a single reorganized volume, the book is well done organizationally.
Substance: This one is trickier than usual. In cases of books that are basically just straightforward collections of random ideas and options, there’s a higher rate of “I like the things you hate” going on. For example, I thought the section on spiderborgs was really fun and inspiring, but others might hate them. Such disagreements aren’t anything new, but people are certain to disagree over the usefulness and quality of books like this. So I have to just embrace subjectivity and say that while I found some of the essays to be okay or useful, overall I didn’t care for them. Meanwhile, the new creatures, skills, equipment, and basically anything done up in a table to be exciting. That said, I do get that the essays were likely meant to target newer gamers, and I should view them in that light. So, I’ll go with a solid 4 for substance with two catches. First, you’re going to find stuff in here you like, and stuff in here you hate. Secondly, those of you looking to idea mine for other games are likely to find lots of stuff to use throughout the book, which is good enough reason for me to give it a 4 for substance. If there had been less stuff I was “enh” about, I could see bumping it up to a 5.
Conclusion: For a collection of magazine artices redone as a book, the Compendium is surprisingly good. It’s less focused than say Mall of Doom or Pitford, but is likely to come in handy for idea mining for any post-apocalyptic game out there. There’s a lot of stuff I didn’t care for, but a lot of stuff I thoroughly enjoyed and will return for.
