Mini Review - Resolute: Legacy (Superhero RPG)

I've been following the games produced by Splintered Realms Publishing for a while now.  They generally have a few things in common:  They're short, have a nice background story, simplified task resolution and a streamlined gaming system.  Well, that and the author tends to pull his old products off for sale when he is revising them, so as not to sell old when new is around the corner.

The first title to be revamped is the superhero RPG, which now bears the title Resolute: Legacy.  I'm loath to call it a "no frills" type of RPG, because the system is very complete.  It is however, art light (which I am fine with, as I've seen superhero art all my life - I know what it looks like) with a single column layout (which reads fine on my iPad).  Heck, your whole character sheet can fit on one side of a 3x5 index card. Did I mention everything gets resolved with a single D12?  Now that's streamlined.

Want to check out the character generation steps?

 1. Purchase Abilities.  You start with 30 CPs to spend in building your super.

You may spend your points however you desire; however, you may never

put more than half of your total CPs in any one ability.  (NOTE: Referees

may decide to begin games with more powerful supers; if this is the case,

the referee will tell you how many CPs you have to build your super).

2. Pick a Moniker.  This is your super’s nickname or code name. For some

supers, this is also their true or only name. When Modi, son of Thor  is your

given name, you don’t really need a moniker!

3. Decide on a Limitation.  Some supers have a limitation. You may elect to

take one limitation, or roll randomly for one. You are not required to take a

limitation, if you’d prefer not to. A limitation gives you bonus character

points at character creation to improve other abilities. (see next page). You

should only take one limitation at character creation.

 4. Develop a Purpose.  You have a primary objective that drives your actions.

Write this as a sentence. Your purpose is quite important; whenever you

take a significant step towards accomplishing your purpose in a scene, you

earn an extra +1 XP for that scene.

As you can see even character generation is pretty streamlined.

Supers is not on the top of my RPG genre list, which is kind of strange as I was a huge superhero comic book reader in my teen and early (and even later) adult years.  That being said, if I was going to run a supers game, Resolute: Legacy is the rules engine I would use.  It's about as complicated as I'd want it, and seems to handle what it sets out to handle well.  Besides, at less than 2 bucks, it's hard to go wrong. ;)

Still, I'll be waiting for Michael to come out with some fantasy and sci-fi conversions of the rules.  I'll be jumping on those in a heart beat.

From the blurb:


The wind billows your cape. It's truly beautiful up here above the sky, though you rarely get to notice anymore. The lush cloud tops spread out before you. The sun warms your face. You wish it could stay this way forever... or even for a few hours. But it cannot. Squaring your jaw, you turn downward, falling to earth. Under the clouds, the city waits. A fire burns in the north ward. The bank's familiar alarm chimes in the east. Far off on the water, something rises from the deep.

Your legacy calls.

Resolute: Legacy is the latest version of the Resolute game system. The little game of big superhero adventure gives you everything you need to create supers ranging from street-level brawlers to earth-shaking titans, and everything in between.

This revised, streamlined and intuitive superhero system features:
• A single D12 (or optional 2D6) dice mechanic for all action resolution.
• Complete rules for building all types of superhero characters, including detailed listings of over 60 abilities, and rules for customizing your abilities to fit your character concept.
• Rules for superhero-scale combat. If you want to pick up a car and throw it at a foe, project a force field, or crush your opponent in your bare hands, Resolute allows you to do it.
• A simple bonus system that scales all the way from characters who can barely lift 50 lbs. to those who can lift in excess of 500 tons.
• An evocative backdrop that provides seeds for ongoing campaigns, 12 adventure hooks, and rules for character advancement and refereeing the game.
• Rules for vehicles the supers can purchase and use.

Resolute's 1st and 2nd Editions were named a Popular Copper Picks on RPGNow, and both won praise from a number of reviewers. This new, streamlined version is the most elegant and versatile superhero system available.

Mini Review - Resolute: The Splintered Realm (RPG)

Resolute: The Splintered Realm is one of those nifty systems that relies solely on D6, which means you can find the dice you need by raiding just about any board game.  Gotta love that.

The author squarely places his inspiration on the back of D&D "red box" - the first one.  The inspiration shows, even if it looks nothing like a D&D game, it's Old School roots are there.

Success is decided by 2D6 plus modifiers compared against a Difficulty Rating (DR).  For every 5 points your beat the DR, you get a bonus success.  That's the core of it.  There are other things that can modify the roll and such, but the core is fairly simple.  It should be, as the rules wrap up in 20 pages.

We get four core classes (sound familiar?): Disciple, Fighter, Magician and Scout.  Each class - I mean Archetype, has a special ability which helps define it and make it unique.  Or you could avoid taking an archetype all together.

Magic spells have their own chapter.  Magicians aren't the only ones with access to spells, but the other classes need to purchase each spell ability individually.  Nice way to make your character unique, or to model him on some of the other D&D-like classes.

There is a small section on beasts and such and even a one page dungeon included in the mix.  Fair deal for a $3 investment (although there is a Book of Beasts available for a buck).

The PDF is scaled for widescreen monitor and tablets, although there is a printer friendly version also included.

Mini Review - Resolute: Knights of the Falling Stars

Resolute:  Knights of the Falling Stars is a short supplement for the Resolute 2e Superheroes game.

Really, what can you say about a gaming supplement that is 9 pages long and cost a buck?

 

Knights of the Falling Stars is an update for Resolute: the Superhero RPG 2E, expanding the rules into the realms of interstellar adventure and space opera. Within, you will find rules for starship design and combat, new abilities called the Source and the Void, a campaign backdrop set in the Five Systems, and a roster of heroes and villains of the Five Systems. You also get an introductory scenario to get you started right away.

Mini Review - Resolute: Towers of Arvandoria RPG

This is, surprisingly enough, a mini review of a mini RPG.  Literally.  Maybe not as small as Microlite 74 or such, but the Resolute Superhero RPG from Teddy Bear Press that this draws its mechanics from clocks in at a minuscule 17 pages - including the obligatory introductory adventure.  Me, I'm not hugely into superhero RPGs, and trying to get my group to play one is like the Hatfields and the Macoys - opposite sides of a fence that will never agree with each other.  17 pages is probably all I can invest in a supers game these days.

Fantasy RPGs are something they are much more flexible with.  Which is great, because sometimes you want to step away from the D&D legacy, without stepping away from the fantasy it is grounded in.  At the same time, I don't generally cherish learning a whole new game system - there is a comfort of familiarity with the OSR and the assorted clones.   So I want simple, but complete.  Oh, and chea- inexpensive.  I'm not looking to spend much on a game that is there for a change of pace.

In steps Resolute: Towers of Arvandoia - A whopping 16 pages of fantasy RPG goodness.

For players, RToA offers flexible character creation, with a point-based system that allows for total customization. You have 7 races and nearly 50 different abilities or spells to choose from, many of which you can tailor specifically to your character concept.

For the game master, RToA offers:

- A textured and balanced combat system that makes resolution simple to run but that provides a wide range of options to players.

- Clear, quick and easy-to-adjudicate rules that cover nearly any situation.

- A single mechanic that applies everywhere; creating foes takes only minutes, and you can build entire adventures quickly, with virtually no prep work.

- 12 sample monsters that give you models to work from.

- A dynamic and textured game setting that inspires further adventure.

- Rules to quickly generate hundreds of magical treasures.

- An introductory adventure to get you started right away.

As I said, pretty loaded for your 2 bucks.  For 95 cents more you can add the Hero’s Handbook (more spells, classes, races) and the Book of Monsters 1.

Could you run this as your main campaign and system? Sure.  But for me it’s going to be the change of pace for when we need a break.  At 2 buck for a buy in my players can’t complain too much ;)