Overview
Okay, I know that these entire game line reviews have been done many a time before, particularly in regards to Tribe 8, a game that needs to be reviewed in such a manner. However, lost among the effusive and loving comments that have been made by fans, I have noted a failure to look at the flaws in the system. This review is an attempt to give a more rounded view of the game.
Let me begin by emphasizing that I have been playing Tribe 8 since about 1999, and have enjoyed some great adventures in the setting both as a player and as a Weaver (T8’s “hip” term for GM.)
Tribe 8’s success and failure are both hinged around the idea of plot. I have to disagree with DP9, Tribe 8 does NOT have a metaplot. It has a defined, fairly controlled plot that plays in the foreground. Meta – meaning “beyond” does not apply here. The plot of Tribe 8 controls all the events that effect player characters, as the individual commentary mentions.
Now this use of plotting isn’t necessarily a bad idea, and in come circumstances it often benefits the game. The cracks begin to show when you start looking at the line as a whole. I have divided this review into two segments, each reviewing the individual “volumes” of Tribe 8.
Tribe 8: Children of Prophecy Line
The
Children of Prophecy volume is the opening gambit of the gameline. This supposedly sets the stage for future volumes in the series. It details the rise of the Fallen, the banished of Tribals who refuse to tow the party line, into the legendary Eighth Tribe.
The Products
Tribe 8 Rulebook – 7/10
Not really a part of the Children of Prophecy volume, this is the initial purchase for Tribe 8. It gives a nice amount of detail and the silhouette rules. The writing is fantastic and evocative, but lacks sufficient information. While I liked the idea of all world material being presented from the viewpoint of the characters within it, the vagueness sometimes prevents the reader from getting a fix on what is going on. For example, the Fatimas – goddesses that walk the land – are shown throughout the book, but never is there any mention that the strange beings shown are Fatimas. I thought it was simply surreal artwork until I had read the book several times, and I’m not the only person to have done this. Agnes in particular is shrouded in ambiguity as to whether she is the Doll or the Bear. (This causes some inconsistency later. See Trial By Fire notes) All in all, a good product that needed just a little extra thought – like in character descriptions of each individual Fatima, this would have solved a lot of issues. On the otherhand, this ambiguity gives the GM freedom to describe the setting as she chooses. Shame this philosophy got lost in later products…
Vimary Sourcebook - 9.5/10
This was a great sourcebook, and is essential for playing Tribe 8. I emphasize this, it is vital if you wish to follow the series beyond a one-shot game. It lists locations, people and plots that will effect the development of the game for several cycles. Superior to the main rulebook, the descriptions and information is both revealing enough for a GM er… “Weaver” to run hundreds of games while not spoiling too much for any players who read it. (And if you are serious about this game, your players are going to need to read it.)
Weaver’s Assistant and Screen – 6/10 Children of Prophecy: Part I
While not an essential purchase, this has some very useful tips for beginning Weavers. The adventure that’s provided starts the Children of prophecy cycle, while it is well structured it isn’t suitable for beginning cells – somewhat remiss DP9. The NPCs at the back are invaluable.
Children of Lilith – 8/10 CoP: Part II
The first “cycle” book (Campaign) in the series. One of the best in the series, it does railroad the PCs near the beginning, but with some creative Gming, this can be fixed. Packed with information and ideas, it shows that rather than being a metaplot, the storyline of Tribe 8 is in the forefront and the PC’s individual stories are somewhat lost in the magnitude of events surrounding them.
Book of Legends – 7/10
An nice interlude that is well written, and feels more like a metaplot than the metaplot. Lacking in meat, the GM is left to fill this little cycle out into playability. I personally felt that the Metaplot should have been handled in a similar manner…
Word of the Pillars 6/10
A great supplement, it contains enough information to build on the Joanite and Sheban tribes while still leaving the GM with enough freedom to add her own spin. Unfortunately it isn’t too suitable for players as there are several spoilers regarding the Children of Lilith cycle.
Horrors of the Z’bri – 8/10
Excellent supplement. This shows the Z’bri (T8’s bad guys) in the manner they should be. Fleshes out the setting, and adds some new rules. Well written, this is one of the highlights in the gameline.
Into the Outlands – 5.5/10
A bit of a snoozer – as in it made me fall asleep – this is the first of a couple of let downs from the T8 line. It does have a lot of relevant information, and is well written. Just boring. I liked the fact that it took the setting out of its unsubtle darkness and showed that the world of Tribe 8 is about more than dark horror stories.
Trial by Fire – 8/10 CoP: Part III
This is a great cycle. The story is loose enough to work around, (Barring some sequences near the middle) and involves some great set pieces. It is here that the game's inconsistencies start to show though. We are told that Agnes is kidnapped with the artwork and content of the book suggesting that Agnes is the doll and the bear is an automaton. However this is never openly said, it is simply assumed. Yet in Word of the Dancers, the writer claims that Agnes is both Bear and Doll, even though there is never any comment in any book to back up this claim. (See Word of Dancer comments in next review) Trial by Fire is a great finale to the first volume, if somewhat railroaded.
Word from the North - 7/10
A wonderful epilogue, well written and again, and example of how the metaplot probably should be handled. Yet it suffers from the same problem that BoL suffers, lack of detail in the gaming section.
Verdict
In summary, "Children of Prophecy" is a great start for the Tribe 8 line. It has some pitfalls, but most of these are easily overstepped. My only true gripe is that everything that lets down this part of the gameline could have easily been avoided by simple common sense and thought in regards to
playability and it's this point that must be considered. Tribe 8 is very detailed, and also playable. It just tends to feel a little schizophrenic in design, and not in the good way. One would have hoped that this would have been cleaned up by the next volume…See the next review to see if it did.
At the end of the day, my complaints are just personal niggles, the game is good and I recommend it to anyone who wants something different. But be wary of what you buy, particularly from the next volume…
