The Roleplaying Game of Amerika in 2197 C.E.

Although not labeled as such in its RPGGeek listing, FGU's Year of the Phoenix roleplaying game (hereinafter Phoenix) falls into the 'post-apocalypse' genre.  However, refering to Phoenix as a post-apocalyse game does a disservice to its premise.  Phoenix'  focused and elaborate premise is its most endearing feature; it is also the reason Phoenix is condemned to obscurity.

Phoenix embraces the Reagan era fantasy of a Soviet invasion of the United States.  It was published in 1986 (the same year as Fortress America), between the motion picture Red Dawn (1984) and the televison mini-series Amerika (1987).  To the extent that an invasion of the U.S. was likely at all, your humble host felt that the Chinese were a more plausible culprit (doubtless due to the influence of Heinlein's Sixth Column and “Free Men”).

A Soviet-occupied America – without further elaboration – is a sufficient premise for a role-playing game (see Freedom Fighters, also published by Fantasy Games Unlimited, also in 1986).  However, Phoenix is not content to stop there.  The following excerpt appears on the back of the box:

     It is 1997.  You are a soldier of the United States Space Command, a member of the warrior elite.  Backed by the most powerful nation on earth, your job is to protect our interests in space.
     But tragedy strikes.  During a rescue mission at the space station America, a freak explosion tears you from your Shuttle and plunges you through a time warp.
     Stranded in the future, a future where our great nation fell to the enemy over two hundred years ago, you and your surviving crew vow to continue your fight for freedom.
     “Welcome to Amerika, comrade...”

The back of the box also states:

Unique in the roleplaying experience, players are as shocked and unprepared as their characters when this tragedy hits.

Of course, that's only true for players who happened not to read the back of the box and who otherwise avoided exposure to information about the game.  The 'unique experience' was viable in a playtesting context, but it was hardly feasible to maintain such a pretense in a published product line.  Even if it were so, it would not necessarily be desirable; someone eager to play a 'space commando' may not relish the expected setting turning into an 'underground resistance' campaign.

Phoenix includes a four page Player Handout, a forty-eight page Training Manual (covering chapters one through eight of the rules), and an eighty page Adventure Guide (covering chapters nine through fourteen of the rules, along with three connected adventures).  The handout and manual do not betray the secret that the player characters will be transported to a future, occupied America; that information is in the guide, evidently intended only for the gamemaster.  Phoenix also includes a gamemaster screen; one side is for the gamemaster to view and the opposite side is for the players.  Among other things, the players' side displays weapons tables that provide information such as 'Year of 1st Manufacture.'  Many of the listed weapons have dates after 1997 – the year in which the game supposedly takes place.  Phoenix doesn't make it easy to keep the secret.

Phoenix was created by Martin Wixted (1962 - 1994), who contributed to various projects for West End Games, including The Price of Freedom – another game about a Soviet invasion of the United States, also published in 1986.  The table of contents page of the Adventure Guide makes reference to “The Epic Game Series” and credits Wixted, along with Scot Fritz, for the design of the “Epic Rule System.”  Wayne Shaw and Curtis M. Scott are listed as providing 'Developmental Assistance.'  (Curtis Scott, like Wixted, died at the young age of 32.)  The idea of Phoenix'  rules as a 'system' is fascinating; an idea we shall explore in future installments of Thoul's Paradise.

Most of the art for Phoenix, including the cover shown above, was provided by David Dietrick.  His efforts were uneven in Phoenix, spanning a spectrum from poorly executed to charming.  Patrick Zircher supplied the art for two pages of vehicle counters.

[This paragraph contains spoilers.]  In Phoenix, players create characters who are part of the United States Space Command in 1997.  For their first mission, they travel to the space station America (via the 'military' Space Shuttle Phoenix) in order to liberate it from Libyan terrorists.  (The aptly named station is a metaphor that Wixted employs to foreshadow circumstances that the player characters are fated to experience.)  Before they can confront the terrorists, “the characters are thrown through time and space.”*  Of course, the PCs are not supposed to immediately realize they have travelled to the year 2197.  In the intervening two centuries, a 'cataclysm' occurs.  “The exact nature of it is uncertain,” Wixted states on page 7 of the Adventure Guide, but it provided the opportunity for the Soviets to invade.  Thus, although the back of the box says “over two hundred years ago,” as of 2197 it would be less than two hundred years since the occupation began.  Given the current state of affairs, the PCs are expected to “vow to continue [the] fight for freedom.”  As such, the Phoenix symbolizes a renewed America rising from the ashes of Soviet domination.  Had Wixted gone with communist China as the invader, Year of the Phoenix could have taken on another level of meaning.

The last page of the Adventure Guide describes supplementary products for Phoenix which were never published.  Liberty the Fugitive!  would have continued the 'storyline' of the introductory adventures provided in the Adventure Guide.  Surf's Up!  would have been a distinct adventure module.  Also planned was the Year of the Phoenix Sourcebook.  Evidently, official Year of the Phoenix metal figurines were to be produced by Frontier Miniatures.

Wixted put a great deal of effort into Phoenix and it would seem to be a labor of love.  Sadly, the focus was too narrow to be commercially viable and the topic ceased to be timely a mere handful of years after publication.  Year of the Phoenix remains available for purchase from FGU.  An electronic version may be obtained at RPGNow.


*  On page 46 of the Adventure Guide, Wixted states that “if there are enough requests, FGU may publish a Campaign Pack for adventuring with the Pegasus in the year 1997.”  (The Pegasus is the sister ship of the Phoenix.)

Edited on 11/04/12 to clarify that Curtis Scott passed away.

Obligation in Edge of the Empire

To explore Fantasy Flight's Star Wars Edge of the Empire-Beta roleplaying game (hereinafter EotE-B), let us go through the process of creating a character.  In EotE-B, character creation is decidedly not old school in that it is (mostly) not random.  In other words, one must imagine a character concept first and foremost.  For purposes of our exercise, let us draw inspiration from that beloved Star Wars character Saun Dann.  If any fanboyz experience butthurt over my interpretation of good ol’ Saun, let me know.  Likewise, if anyone who fancies himself an EotE-B rules expert takes issue with my understanding of the rules, leave a comment.

Once concept is considered, each player character has an Obligation, a circumstance that may affect the character in a less than positive way.  Owing money to a Hutt could be considered an Obligation.  Each Obligation has a description and a numeric value.

A table provides a list of Obligation types.  Examples include obsession, bounty, and addiction.  In a concession to 'old school,' a player may make a percentile roll to determine Obligation.  With the Game Master's permission, a player may choose one of the listed Obligations or “make up his own.”  For Saun Dann, let's say he is 'dutybound' to help the Rebellion.  Not only could such a duty be inconvenient, he risks the ire of the Empire because of his association.

The 'value' of an Obligation is based on the number of player characters in the party.  For a party of two PCs, a value of 25 points* each is suggested; for a party of five (which is what we assume for our example), a value of 10 points is recommended.  Regardless of the size of the party, the starting values are designed so that the party's combined value will be between sixty and seventy points (or thereabouts).

A player character can take on additional Obligation – either five or ten points worth – and receive a benefit in terms of experience points or additional starting money.  Given that Saun Dann is a trader by profession, he needs a certain amount of 'stock' with which to trade.  We have Saun Dann assume ten more points of Obligation in order to have an additional 2,500 credits in starting funds.

Once Obligation has been determined for each character in a party, the GM creates an Obligation Check Chart.  Here is the chart for our hypothetical five-character party:

                              Obligation            Character

                              1 - 20                     Saun Dann

                              21 - 30                   Morgan Sunskimmer

                              31 - 40                   Camie

                              41 - 50                   THX-1138

                              51 - 60                   Jaxxon

Each character has ten points of Obligation except for Saun Dann, who has twenty.  In creating a party's Obligation Check Chart, the largest Obligation should be listed first with the remaining Obligations listed in order of descending size.  This is pursuant to the EotE-B update issued on September 4, 2012.  Order among characters with an equal amount of Obligation is supposedly unimportant, but see below.

At the start of any given session, the GM makes a percentile roll and compares it against the Obligation Check Chart.  If the result of the roll exceeds the total Obligation, then the party's Obligations do not affect them during that session.  If the result is equal to or less than the total Obligation, then “something related to their Obligation may introduce complications during the upcoming session.”  In terms of concrete effects, each character's 'Strain Threshold' is reduced for the session.  (Strain Threshold is a 'derived attribute' measuring the amount of “psychological and mental damage” a character is capable of enduring.)  Specifically, the character represented by the Obligation range containing the result of the percentile roll loses two strain while all other characters in the party lose one.  For instance, on a roll of 26, Morgan Sunskimmer would have two less strain than usual and everyone else would have one less.  When rolling doubles, the strain loss is doubled.  For example, with a roll of 33, Camie would be down by four strain and the other characters would be down by two each.

In a party of six or more player characters, the recommended starting Obligation is five points.  In such a situation, there would be characters who could not be the direct subject of a roll of doubles.  Even in our example, Saun Dann, who has twice the Obligation of any other character, has the same chance of being directly afflicted by a roll of doubles.  However, if Morgan Sunskimmer had the same amount of Obligation (i.e., twenty points), she would have twice Saun Dann's chance of being 'hit by doubles.' This offends my sense of fairness.

I would recommend that the double effect be applied when the percentile roll result equals the highest number of any character's 'Obligation range' on the chart.  So, with our example, the double effect would occur on a result of 20, 30, 40, 50, or 60.  In terms of the double effect, each character would have the same risk as any other character, regardless of relative Obligation.


* As of the September 25 update, 20 points each is the suggested value for two player characters.

More Magic Items from High Fantasy

Before we bid adieu to High Fantasy, I thought that I might share some more descriptions of High Fantasy magic items as a complement to my earlier post on the subject.  First, here are a couple of items that I don’t particularly like.  Evidently, Jeff Dillow was trying to be “cute.”

The Kitchen Magician – This is also called “the sword of many swords.”  It looks like a well-made sword in a silver and gold scabbard.  When the sword is drawn and held out in front of the player [character] it creates a wall of whirling swords 10 feet away from the player [character].  The wall of swords is 10’ x 10’ and moves when the player [character] moves the sword.  It will last for five turns and then the wall will disappear.  Anyone hit by the wall receives damage on the 95 column each turn they remain in it.  The sword can only be used in this manner once a day and after that it reverts to a normal sword.  If the player [character] hasn’t used the sword wall that day then the sword will be a plus 5 column damage weapon until it is used.

The Super Wiz Biz Robe – A bizarre bright red robe cluttered with moons and stars.  That hat is long and pointy with a little crook at the end and is also covered with moons and stars.  There is a large W on a necklace that swings loosely about the chest.  The robe increases a wizard’s innate ability by 20 and adds 5 to his offense and 10 to his defense.  When other people see a person wearing this outfit it usually causes them to break out laughing with a 10% chance of going into uncontrollable laughter for 3 turns.  The robe is large and clumsy and has a 5% chance of interfering with the wizard so much that it causes him to cast the spell next to the one he intended to.  If there is no spell next to the one he is casting then a shower of flowers will spring from the wizards [sic] hand instead of the spell.

With the following item, we see that Dillow took inspiration from Hindu mythology.

Vajra “The Heaven Bow” – This is a 6 foot bow made of rainbows and strung with black clouds.  It’s [sic] arrows are lightning bolts that do 80 column damage whenever they hit.  The bow comes with six arrows but there is a secret hollow shaft that will turn any regular arrow placed in it into a lightning bolt, if it is left there for one day.  Use the same range that you use for longbows.  The bow only exists in daylight or magic light.  At night it disappears and will reappear in the same place when the light of the morning comes again.

Speaking of magic light…

The Elf Stone – A clear blue rock that glows if exposed to open air.  It can be used as a torch and if desired will have the same effect as a second plane fear spell on other creatures.

Here's a strange one...

The Sacrificial Breastplate – A large piece of armor that is worn to protect the chest.  It has an intricately decorated front and appears to be a very well-built piece of equipment.  The armor originated from a very peculiar style of area combat in the olden days.  Two combatants would put on one of these breastplates,* which would add +30 to their defense, and then commence to fight each other in the typical gladiatorial style.  When one of the combatants lost the winner would go over and tear the armor from the chest of the loser.  This breastplate burns a symbol on the chest of who ever puts it on.  When the armor is taken off it will reveal this symbol and unless this symbol is quickly covered up the loser would be in trouble.  The symbol marks the wearer for sacrifice to the demons.  For every turn the symbol is exposed there is a 60% chance a demon will appear and try to devour the person marked.  What a horrible thing it was to lose in the arena in the olden days!

Speaking of demons…

The Horn of Trumpeting Doom – A horn made from the tusk of a dead demon.  The mouth piece is finely spun silver.  The horn has been cursed and can only be used properly by another demon.  If the person** blows the horn in a building a part of the ceiling will collapse striking everyone in the room and will do damage on the 60 column.  If outside, branches will fall, rocks will slip or even meteors will descend and cause everyone in a 100 feet radius to take damage on the 80 column.

Last but not least we have...

Golden Death – A small gold statue of a lion that is amazingly intricate for its size.  This magical device was one of the Assassin of Nautpolis’s favorite devices.  When the lion is tossed into the air it will grow into a full sized lion before it hits the ground.  The Assassin would often use it to maul his victims and thus disguise the fact it was a definite assassination.  The lion will maintain its full size and golden hue for two complete turns at which time it will revert back into a statue.  Use the regular lion statistics located on the Creature Table.

 
*  I assume one each
**  I assume a non-demon

Force Dice & Destiny Points

The one Edge of the Empire (Beta)* die that I did not dicuss last week was the Force Die.  Although EotE-B does not focus on the Force per se, the twelve pages of Chapter VIII are devoted to it; providing an introduction as to how game mechanics accommodate the Force.  The third installment of Fantasy Flight Games' Star Wars Roleplaying Game, Force and Destiny (anticipated for 2015), will doubtless supply a more thorough study.

Force-sensitive characters have a 'Force Rating' from 1 to 7.  A Force Rating of 2 has a magnitude of “Tenuous” and the examples given are “self-taught exile” and “Padawan.”  A Force Rating of 6 has a magnitude of “Formidable” and the examples given are “Jedi Master” and “Sith Lord.”  An EotE-B character can become Force-sensitive by acquiring the “Force-Sensitive Exile” specialization.  This provides a Force Rating of 1; through experience, a Force Rating of 2 can be obtained.

EotE-B describes three Force powers that a Force-sensitive character may use:  Sense, Infuence, and Move.  Each must be purchased separately.  When a Force-sensitive character  attempts to use a Force power, the player rolls a number of Force Dice equal to the character's Force Rating.  Unlike other EotE-B dice, Force Dice to not generate success/failure symbols; instead, they generate 'resources' in the form of Force points.

Each side of the Force die has one or two resources represented, either 'light side' symbols (white circles) or 'dark side' symbols (black circles).  Six faces have one dark side symbol each and one face has two dark side symbols.  Two faces have one light side symbol each and three faces have two light side symbols each.  Although the two sides are balanced (each 'side' has a total of eight symbols on the die), it's more likely that any given roll will generate a dark side result (seven dark side faces versus five light side faces).

A Force-sensitive character can use light side results and dark side results, but there are costs associated with using the dark side.  “Full- fledged Jedi and other powerful Force users suffer unique penalties” for using dark side results, but – given the scope of EotE-B – those penalties are not discussed.  EotE-B characters employing the dark side of the Force must use a Destiny Point (see below) and suffer 'strain' damage.

While the Force may not play a significant part (if any) in an EotE-B campaign, Force Dice are still used.  At the beginning of each session, a 'Destiny Pool' is determined.  Each player (not GM) rolls a Force Die; the result indicates the type and number of 'Destiny Points' that will go into the pool.  (For instance, two light side symbols indicates two light side Destiny Points; one dark side symbol means one dark side Destiny Point.)  Players may 'use' light side Destiny Points to upgrade their chances of performing a task or to hinder the tasks of opposing non-player characters. Players may also 'use' light side Destiny Points to activate certain talents and special abilities.  Narrative elements of luck can also be introduced into the game, such as a character conveniently having a specific item of equipment that was not previously noted.

When a player 'uses' a light side Destiny Point, it doesn't disappear; it becomes a dark side Destiny Point which the Game Master can use against the players.  Of course, when the GM uses a dark side Destiny Point, it becomes a light side Destiny Point.  Thus is established an ebb and flow of fate.  To keep track of Destiny Points, I think that Othello/Reversi chips would be ideal.


*  From page 66, it seems a preliminary title was Edge of the Darkness.