New Year, New Game: Only 2 Days Left!

DriveThruRPG's sale is running out of time, and I wanted to give a list of things that caught my eye, just in case some of you share the same interests.

1. Conspiracy X -- This is version 2.0 and it uses Unisystem, which I've been fond of ever since I ran a Buffy the Vampire Slayer campaign set here in the Philippines. It's a great, easy to teach, and allows you to take stuff from all the other Unisystem games out there. It shouldn't be too much of a stretch, given the premise of the game:
   
   "Conspiracy X takes place in a world of dark secrets and hidden agendas where the only certainty is nothing is what it seems. The president might not be human... and the sign carrying paranoid on the street corner ranting about CIA mind control satellites may very well be right."
   
2. Imperium Chronicles Roleplaying Game -- This is a new game system, and threatens to scratch my constant itching for new Science Fiction settings. Here's the premise:
   
   "The Imperium Chronicles is a mashup of sci-fi and fantasy, set in a universe of intrigue and adventure. The Imperium is a tapestry of conflicting groups, each with their own agenda. From the richest aristocrat to the poorest thug, every citizen dreams of power, prestige, and a piece of the action."
   
   Sounds like a good space opera campaign! Also, a quick look at the publisher's page shows that there are already other sourcebooks and minis available for the game.
   
3. Leverage Roleplaying Game -- Powered by another Cortex+ variant, this one can help recreate the heist and scam-filled episodes of the TV show. It's a different take on the action/adventure filled modern day world with less guns blazing and more lies, doubletalk, and sneaking about -- but always for a good cause.
   
   "Based on TNT’s hit show, The LEVERAGE Role Playing Game puts you in the middle of a dysfunctional but highly specialized group of con artists, criminals, and crooks who are trying to turn over a new leaf. You protect the victims of corporations, mobsters, and corrupt politicians by using your expert skills to outwit and overcome the real bad guys."
   
   Already, it has some additional sourcebooks that I've also reviewed elsewhere in this blog.

What are the games that caught your eye in the sale?

Armchair Reviews: Leverage -- Hitters, Hackers and Thieves

Leverage has shot to the forefront of my go-to RPGs for modern day espionage, detective, and criminal campaigns. I've been reading through both the RPG and the sourcebooks, and I really like how it's put together.

Age of the Geek, baby.

It is still counter to my preferred simulationist game system approach, but it causes less coredumps to my GM operating system than another system like FATE. Perhaps Cortex Plus will be my gateway drug to FATE, but for now, I'm liking it.

I think that the use of the polyhedral dice probably have a comforting effect.

Anyway, here's the first of my reviews on the Leverage sourcebooks:

I kind of gave the Leverage RPG a pass when it came out because -- I didn't watch the show.

But after I finally encountered first the Smallville RPG, then the Marvel Heroic Roleplaying RPG, I decided to pick up Leverage to give it another try. Then I decided to take a look at the sourcebooks for it.

This book, Leverage: Hitters, Hackers, and Thieves, is an indispensable tool for both players and GMs (Fixers in this RPG) interested in rounding out and deepening the capabilities, backgrounds, rivals, and approaches for these types of roles in the game. While it does not (and cannot) give an encyclopedic account of all things Hitter/Hacker/Thief, it does bolster the treatment given in the rulebook with key points in the history and rationale of the role, very flavorful talents to broaden the cinematic treatment in the game, and some Master Class options to make the PCs and NPCs even more awesome than they already are.

There are also additional rules for Locations in this sourcebook to make things more interesting for the Thief (and everyone else) in your Crew. As a bonus, you get several technology-centric Jobs to take your Crew through.

In addition, the book is written clearly, while successfully providing both information and flavor to further reinforce the genre of the game.

If you're into Leverage, pick it up!

As a result, I may begin revisiting my old 'spies' posts regarding the genre of espionage. This game, in particular, makes me think classic Mission: Impossible TV show scenarios are possible to run in an RPG.

And yes, I have finally seen the first season of Leverage.