Post by Gilvan Blight on Apr 18, 2007 9:35:52 GMT -5
Quickly: pretty cool but not at all what I expected.
Summary: This is "The Guide to player character groups" for Feng Shui the Action Movie RPG. This fairly thin module looks at running Feng Shui a little differently from normal. The game is set up more like a TV series (and you use the term series instead of story or movie). The PCs form some form of group and take part in episodal adventures. There are some rather cool benefits of forming a group including unique Group Shticks as well as Synchronization Shticks. The group as a whole gets XP at the end of each session and players can decide to give up personal XP to add to the group. This xp is used to purchase group Shticks like Headquarters, The Van, Mooks, etc. Also players can spend personal xp to buy new sync shticks. These are things like "Got Your Back" where for every player 'back to back' they all get +1 EV. The book is broken up into an intro explaining the concept and quite a few of the new rules and then into sections for various types of Group Shows. There is the Cop show, the POWERS show (the last defense that no one knows about, MIB, etc), The Crime Show (think of Goodfellows or Casino), The Family story (Thunderbirds, Spy Kids), etc. There is even a section on playing PowerRangers/Voltron teams, where the players play kids with extraordinary powers and can do huge combo attacks. Scattered throughout the book is new equipment, npc stat boxes, one new character Type (The Science Ninja, aka Power Ranger), and a few odd shticks.
The Good: Some rather cool concepts. I especially like the synergy shticks. The concept of running a series as opposed to a story is a cool concept. The new shticks are rather cool. There's a lot of info in a small space. The artwork made me laugh, it's filled with a bunch of fake movie posters starting John Mook, and Nameless Character.
The Bad: not at all what I expected. I thought I was picking up a book for playing The Dragons (a mythical group of heroes destined to save the universe or die trying). It was to include all these funky group up and team up shticks. I wasn't expecting an book giving me a totally new way to play with a bunch of not so funky shticks not really suited to normal Play. Also a lot of the series need to be 'played with' in order to fit the standard Secret War theme of the game. You pretty much need to start fresh if you plan on using this book. It's not designed to add to an existing campaign but rather to be the basis of a new one.
The Ugly: I just don't see playing Feng Shui for some of these genres. I would think if you want to do a CSI like cop show there has to be a better rule system then Feng Shui (D20 Modern?). Same with the Spy show. Sure James Bond has action, but not Feng Shui style action. Pick up Top Secret if you want to play super spies with tons of gadgets.
Overall: rather cool but not at all what I expected. There are some interesting concepts but they aren't made to just be tossed in, you pretty much need to start a new campaign to use most of the book. A few of the concepts just don't lend them self to the Feng Shui insanity. Is this worth picking up? Well if you have an urge to run a game where the players form some form of group like The A Team (Wanders type, get a unique shtick The Special Van), or a Hong Kong Cop show ala Chow Yun Phat, or a Power Rangers series this is well worth picking up. If you just want to add some group shticks to your existing game (as I wanted to) you are probably wasting your money. There's some cool stuff, but unless you want a different style of campaign you won't use most of it.
Summary: This is "The Guide to player character groups" for Feng Shui the Action Movie RPG. This fairly thin module looks at running Feng Shui a little differently from normal. The game is set up more like a TV series (and you use the term series instead of story or movie). The PCs form some form of group and take part in episodal adventures. There are some rather cool benefits of forming a group including unique Group Shticks as well as Synchronization Shticks. The group as a whole gets XP at the end of each session and players can decide to give up personal XP to add to the group. This xp is used to purchase group Shticks like Headquarters, The Van, Mooks, etc. Also players can spend personal xp to buy new sync shticks. These are things like "Got Your Back" where for every player 'back to back' they all get +1 EV. The book is broken up into an intro explaining the concept and quite a few of the new rules and then into sections for various types of Group Shows. There is the Cop show, the POWERS show (the last defense that no one knows about, MIB, etc), The Crime Show (think of Goodfellows or Casino), The Family story (Thunderbirds, Spy Kids), etc. There is even a section on playing PowerRangers/Voltron teams, where the players play kids with extraordinary powers and can do huge combo attacks. Scattered throughout the book is new equipment, npc stat boxes, one new character Type (The Science Ninja, aka Power Ranger), and a few odd shticks.
The Good: Some rather cool concepts. I especially like the synergy shticks. The concept of running a series as opposed to a story is a cool concept. The new shticks are rather cool. There's a lot of info in a small space. The artwork made me laugh, it's filled with a bunch of fake movie posters starting John Mook, and Nameless Character.
The Bad: not at all what I expected. I thought I was picking up a book for playing The Dragons (a mythical group of heroes destined to save the universe or die trying). It was to include all these funky group up and team up shticks. I wasn't expecting an book giving me a totally new way to play with a bunch of not so funky shticks not really suited to normal Play. Also a lot of the series need to be 'played with' in order to fit the standard Secret War theme of the game. You pretty much need to start fresh if you plan on using this book. It's not designed to add to an existing campaign but rather to be the basis of a new one.
The Ugly: I just don't see playing Feng Shui for some of these genres. I would think if you want to do a CSI like cop show there has to be a better rule system then Feng Shui (D20 Modern?). Same with the Spy show. Sure James Bond has action, but not Feng Shui style action. Pick up Top Secret if you want to play super spies with tons of gadgets.
Overall: rather cool but not at all what I expected. There are some interesting concepts but they aren't made to just be tossed in, you pretty much need to start a new campaign to use most of the book. A few of the concepts just don't lend them self to the Feng Shui insanity. Is this worth picking up? Well if you have an urge to run a game where the players form some form of group like The A Team (Wanders type, get a unique shtick The Special Van), or a Hong Kong Cop show ala Chow Yun Phat, or a Power Rangers series this is well worth picking up. If you just want to add some group shticks to your existing game (as I wanted to) you are probably wasting your money. There's some cool stuff, but unless you want a different style of campaign you won't use most of it.