Diaspora: Hard Science-Fiction Role-Playing with FATE Review

I will start off by saying that after reading this game it has a lot of great ideas but also some caveats when it comes to actual gameplay using the FATE rule system. The setting and concepts are awesome but I question the execution of the rules.

Getting started this is a space opera style game. Space ships, star systems, wormholes, distant planets, future tech, it's all here with the exception of aliens. This is meant to be a more realistic take on space travel, even if the physics behind wormholes being a reliable mode of transportation got a little fubbled for the sake of the game. I don't mind it. Humanity is branching out and spreading throughout the galaxy, settling on new planets in new star systems. The rules include how to easily make up your own planets and star systems with wormholes connecting them and it's very fun to play around with. Each planet and star system having different levels of social and technological development and amount of resources. I quite like it because it gives the game plenty of variations if the group wants to adventure someplace different. 

The game also includes rules for creating spaceships, spaceship combat, social combat, platoon combat, personal combat, and of course, character creation. Though this seems to be hit and miss.

Character creation is different than most other games. Based on Aspects, Skills, and Stunts. Aspects are like traits that describe what kind of person a character is. There are ten aspects a character can have either good or bad. When a FATE point is used with an aspect players get a bonus to a roll and can acquire more FATE points through playing out negative aspects. Aspects can also allow a player to do other things like create an NPC, or have a new social connection. Skills is what each character is good at. If a character is specialized at a trade or a job then the skills that character has should reflect that. There are plenty of skills to choose from, again this game offers a lot of variations. Stunts are special ways a character can get help in a tough situation. Improvise a skill, have new gear, or do something normally impossible.

After that this is when I start to have problems with the game. As mentioned above there's rules to do a lot of things and it seems there is plenty to do. But the rulebook doesn't give enough details or examples. It tells you all these cool rules but doesn't tell how to apply them. After some research this appears to be common with games using the FATE rules system. A recommendation is to read another game called "Spirit of the Century" as this is the first game using the FATE system and it has the most fleshed out details for it. While this does help a lot it bugs me that I have to read another game to better understand the rules on another because the writers skipped on the details. If Diaspora was meant to be setting supplement for SotC I wouldn't have an issue with that but it's not. It's supposed to be it's own game that just so happens to be using the same rule system. Even still rules for ship and platoon combat aren't included in the SotC rulebook.

This is a game I think that will have to be re-read a few times before it can be fully understood while also keeping the book handy while playing. But it's not because the rules a complex but because examples for how and when certain rules come into play were left out. I hope a revised version or a GM aide is released for Diaspora because it seems to be a great game at its core. I do highly recommend it for the concepts and I'm sure it can play out well once fully understood.

For more information about this game visit the publisher's website here.

The Mall of Doom Review

This review is for an adventure supplement for "The Mutant Epoch". I previously reviewed the RPG this adventure goes with here. This will not be a very in-depth review because if I go over too many details it will spoil the adventure for players. I will give my thoughts about it.  The adventure takes place in a small town. The townspeople ask the PCs to help investigate a string of suspicious kidnappings. This leads the PCs to an ancient shopping mall filled with monsters and sick horrors. This is a dark module and not recommended for young children if you're wanting to get them into gaming. I really liked it because it shows how desperately this world needs heroes.

Like "The Mutant Epoch" the art in this book is amazing and done by the author himself. Black and white art throughout and each picture matches the text to help describe what is going on. The cover is full-color and shows off some mutant PCs facing off against a horde of baddies. My copy has slightly smaller dimensions than the core rulebook. It isn't as tall or wide. In the top-right corner it says "Muli-Path Adventure Module". This is because it plays out like a "choose your own adventure book", giving the GM multiple logical options depending on the events the PCs triggered, or the direction the story is going in. This makes the adventure less likely to be ruined by the PCs taking a path that wasn't expected and keeps the adventure from becoming rail-roaded. Players aren't forced into only moving one direction.

Normally I'm not very fond of pre-made adventures because they're either too predictable or don't take into account of the players going in a different direction. This adventure could be played in multiple ways with multiple outcomes each time. This is also a tough challenge for players. The game recommends each player have two or three PCs rolled up. I think it would be wise to take their suggestion. I'm not going to get into specifics but this adventure is scary, brutal, and perfectly fits how the genre should be played. There's also one new weapon and creature that are very powerful. Of course there's some new pre-made NPCs and maps.

This is a great first supplement for "The Mutant Epoch" and I highly recommend this adventure. This is good for both novice and veteran GMs because of the ideas and tips it has in it. This is also good if you haven't had experience running a post-apocalypse game, or ran games that focus on combat rather than survival. This will challenge players mentally, putting them in bad situations and forcing them to think. You can order the print copy here and the PDF here.

The Mutant Epoch Review

I first discovered this game through tetsubo57's YouTube video review. I never had a mutant post-apocalypse RPG in my collection prior to this game. I sadly missed out on "Gamma World" and "After the Bomb" when they first came out, but I acquired them on the used market after I got "The Mutant Epoch" so I could have a better idea of the genre. From my reading, "The Mutant Epoch" takes a lot of the ideas from previous post-apocalypse RPGs and puts them in a modern and more complete rule system with its own flair added in.

The physical book is 244 pages so it covers a lot of rules and information that rules-lite games can skip out on. The author is also the publisher and illustrator. This is his own game and vision all the way. I really liked the artwork. There's black and white illustrations that go with the text on every page. The cover is full-color and shows off some of the character types that can be played. I know the author also sells graphic designs and he is a very talented artist. This book is better than what some companies with large development teams can do. If you're the type of person who likes visual aids you will appreciate the artwork in this book.

For those who don't know, post-apocalypse settings take place in the far future after society has collapsed. For whatever reason be it radiation, genetic engineering, evolution, etc. large populations of lifeforms on the planet are mutated. This is of course sci-fi and science fantasy and not grounded on real science. There are a variety of mutants and mutations in this setting. Most towns are small, independent, fortresses, who are fearful of horrid mutants. Buildings of today are the ancient relics in this setting. Humans own most of these towns and won't let just anybody in. This is because pure humans have inherited wealth but are severely under-powered compared to the other character types. Pure humans also see themselves as nobles and the creators of some of the other types so they're just jerks to everybody else. Because of the society collapse the world is ran like the dark age feudal system rampant with prejudices.

Pure stock humans are rare and of the highest social caste. Some of the other character types were created by humans to be slaves and servants. Bioreplicants are synthetic humans that are very similar to humans but utilize the human body more efficiently for specific tasks. Bioreplicants are engineered by machines without family and grow up in a life of servitude. Clones are also similar to humans but unlike bioreplicants, they're just copies of humans and not created from scratch through genetic engineering. Clones blend in human societies better than the other non-humans but were still raised to be servants. Trans-humans are evolved humans. Trans-humans are flawless and regard themselves as the best at everything. Though human-like they don't blend in human society very well because of their claimed superiority over humans. Cyborgs are humans with technological implants to overcome human limitations. Cyborgs were designed to do specific tasks for their masters. Man meets machine. Cyborgs can be extremely powerful if fitted with combat implants. Ghost mutants are mutants that appear human. Ghost mutants are not as powerful as the other mutants but they usually have various psionics and immunity powers. Ghost mutants blend in human society better than other mutants but because they're mutants they tend to sympathize for the mutants who are cast out of society. Mutants are the most common type in the world. They vary from degrees of mutations. The more mutations the more powerful they are but the more they stick out to humans. Mutants can be a real powerhouse even with a couple flawed mutations and the most fun to play with. Bestial humans are anthropomorphic animals. They're the result of genetic engineering that was done on animals and became their own species. They have different natural abilities depending on the species of animal they derived from. Also depending on the species bestial humans may or may not be socially accepted. Spider people are more feared than dog people. Cow people are at high risk of being eaten. Having human or human looking companions will help some bestial humans gain access to human towns.

The core mechanic is a "roll under" d100 percentile system, which is an improvement in my opinion over the AD&D system in "Gamma World" and the Megaversal system in "After the Bomb". I know it's probably a bad idea to compare these games against each other in a review, so I'm not gonna dwell on it. If you're curious how a d100 system works just look at my previous reviews where I explain that mechanic in more detail. This is it's own system, while it is a d100 core mechanic, character creation, combat, and character advancement work differently than in the BRP system. D100 systems are my favorite because they're robust and simple to use, so I have no complaints. When skills are being tested dice rolls are compared against a hazard table. I wasn't a fan of that at first because I didn't think it was streamlined but it is a good tool for GMs. They can adjust the difficulty so stronger players are challenged without making tasks too difficult. My impression of it is that it will make a good balancing tool, which a game like this needs because players can vary drastically in power.

What really stands out about this game and is probably the most talked about is the character creation rules. A mutant post-apocalyptic setting probably has the most diverse characters interacting with each other and this system reflects that. Although there's a point buy alternative, the core is random and I like that much better because I like the diversity it generates. If every player had their way the would try to create the perfect character archetype they want to play but that isn't realistic especially for a setting like this. The teams will be made up of ragtag misfits with flaws and broken backgrounds. Everything from the character type, caste, job, skills, mutant abilities, cyborg implants, starting gear, age, even which hand is dominant is covered in the character creation system. You can walk in without any idea at all, roll against the random charts, and have a complete fleshed out character. This can almost be considered a game in and of itself. Just know that this is a dark future and there's a high chance your character will have a troubled past. Slave, poor farmer, prostitute, criminal. You're not likely to be a super soldier or wealthy scientist.

There's a list of mutant powers, cyborg implants, and mutant creatures and they're perhaps the most coolest things I have ever read in a RPG. There's almost everything that can be thought up. All are useful, most have variations, and all detailed with rules on how to use them. They include by not limited to acid blood, beam eyes, bladed limbs, claws, electric pulse, multiple limbs, multiple heads, spikes, ballistic-proof skin, tentacles, climbing suckers, night vision. There's a lot. Same with cyborg implants. Alloy razor claws, armor, force fields, communication implants, hydraulic legs, power arm, pincers, built-in computers, optic enhancements, air filters, hidden lasers and guns. There is so much more. The mutant creatures mostly consists of animals, plants, and insects that have been genetically modified to be giants that are intelligent, multi-headed, multi-clawed, with stingers and fangs. Some creatures are humanoids that were genetically engineered for war. This is also where the artwork I mentioned before really came through for me. Just about everything listed has a picture to visually give you ideas. Even frogs want you dead in this game.

The combat system is interesting. If a character can make multiple attacks in a single round they can make multiple attacks like normal or combine them into one all-out powerful attack for that round. There's a greater risk of missing because it's only one attack but with a higher damage potential. I also like how all the dice are used for damage so every die gets used, even d20s. Even though it's a d100 system, I find the full dice spectrum gets used more than in other d100 systems. When attacking the result (Strike value or SV) is compared against the targets defense value (DV), which is a combination of the targets armor and evading abilities. If the SV succeeds the DV then damage dice are rolled. The amount of damage one can take is determined by their endurance. If the damage taken succeeds their endurance they're unconscious or possibly slowly taking more damage from dying. How much negative damage that can be taken before death depends on their willpower and if the character also took some non-lethal stun damage.

The items and weapons in this game are both modern day and futuristic. Ammunition and power packs are precious resources like food and water. A lot of melee weapons and armor are improvised mundane items, which I thought was neat and makes sense for the setting. Aside from regular guns like we have today there are some that feed multiple types of ammo, improved high-caliber ammo, and laser weapons, showing that the weapon technology has continued to improve since our time. There's also lost futuristic technology and survival gear. High-tech computer systems are considered precious relics and luxury items. Also most mutants, bestial humans, and cyborg have natural or built-in weapons and armor as well. Even if unequipped they'll still have a way to fight and block attacks.

There is just so much sci-fi goodness in this book. Robots, androids, vehicles, you name it. The androids also have their own caste systems depending on the model and job assignment is was designed for. They're extremely powerful enemies if being utilized for combat. They aren't playable characters yet but I think that's OK. The game isn't really meant to be played as machines or mutant plants like in Gamma World but I can see why people would like to play them. The author did say rules to play those character types may be included in future supplements. There's already quite a bit of supplement material for this book. If you use the passcode on the inside cover you'll get access to free PDFs by the author for extra creatures, NPCs, items, optional rules, and GM tools. There's a monthly magazine that you can subscribe to that has more cool things in them as well. There's also an adventure supplement called "The Mall of Doom" which I will post a short follow-up review on because I don't want to ruin the adventure.

The Mutant Epoch can be picked up on Amazon, Lulu, and RPGNow. The website for the company can also be found here This is probably the best in-print RPG in the mutated far future, post-apocalypse genre and maybe even the best in the genre of all time. The setting, rules, creatures, technology, and characters are all things I like and I know a lot of people like this stuff too.