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Sci Punk Anthology |
| 2022-03-24 |
Sci Punk Anthology
I received my copy of Sci Punk Anthology by Runehammer.
It's a beautiful 107 pages hardcover containing three RPG settings: Altered State, Bearcats, and Xeno Dead Zone. Each has its distinctive style and each is powered by Runehammer enthousiasm. Kelsey Dionne and Alex Alvarez are coauthors.
XDZ is more sci, Altered State is more punk, and Bearcats is just plain nuts. Sci Punk seemed like a good fit. Besides, it sounds cool.
I don't have the time to run any of the three games. But I have the time to pick the book, dive into it and let it inspire me. Time is running low and we seek for shortcuts to greater effects.
Altered State is subtitled "Dying Earth Cyberpunk" and flagged as "For use with Index Card RPG". Choose your skin: human, synth (grown in a vat), construct (artificial and mechanical), or mutant (altered by radiation, toxins, or tampering).
Bearcats heading reads "a system-neutral fight for survival". It pits human survivors in the basement of a high-school against invaders.
Bearcats is a system neutral setting. If you've read this far, you're probably prepared to bring Bearcats mechanics and systems into your favorite RPG engine. Be bombastic! This setting is explosive and unique, so don't be afraid to just invent!
Xeno Dead Zone is a Runehammer Aliens homage. It's also meant as an ICRPG setting. The initial boost is delivered by two 1d20 tables, Mission Objectives table and Mission Escalations.
Each game has its list of weapons and of vehicles, it's mesmerizing. Altered State and Bearcats have solid advice to the GM, while Xeno Dead Zone is flagged as "play with or without a GM".
The hardcover is half an inch thick and roughly B5 in size, actually it's the same size as the Modiphius ICRPG hardcover, so the two go together well on the shelf or in the bag. The layout is excellent, it's all crisp, not a word wasted. The illustrations are awesome and there is the promise of digital assets for those who get the PDF versions of the settings.
Admirative.
