Product Review

The yellow paper seems rough in my hands, cheap, but made from the stuff of dreams. The pale black ink reveals yet another story of action, of fear, of humanity. In an age of much-needed hope, men (and some women) of vision sit at their typewriters… and on they type. Their stories unfold, released on cheap pulp paper, dismissed by the snobbish literates as garbage fit only for the uneducated. But, as Robert Bloch (known horror author, nowadays especially for his “Psycho,” which inspired Hitchcock’s movie) so aptly put on paper: “no objective literary school can ignore the lasting influence of Sherlock Holmes, Tarzan and the Wizard of Oz upon contemporary culture.” The pulp stories deal with larger-than-life heroes, who risk life and limb to save their fellow man. The most famous of the pulp heroes is Doc Savage, but we are probably more familiar with the Phantom, the Shadow and Indiana Jones, among others. Adventure! gives you the chance of portraying one such hero, and living exciting adventures while saving humanity from its impending doom. The second prequel to Trinity, White Wolf’s science-fiction RPG, this game is set 200 years earlier, in an age of Hope.

It’s the roaring twenties. The Great War has come to an end, and people want to enjoy their lives. Liquor, however, has been outlawed in the U.S. through the Volstead Act. Still, thirsty men and women rush into the speakeasies, clandestine bars that won’t refuse people a drink, even if the Constitution forbids. This decade also witnesses the birth of the gangsters as a social phenomenon. Gang wars storm the streets of cities such as Chicago and New York. The automobile becomes popular and cheap, as are dozens of magazines that publish stories of action and adventure.

It is in this decade, that Maxwell Anderson Mercer, philanthropist millionaire opens his “Æon Society for Gentlemen.” Mercer has a dream, which is nothing more and nothing less than helping humanity achieve its potential. Mercer funds exploration and invention, by talented and gifted people, and he, and his fellow club members fight crime, evil and injustice throughout the world. Earlier, in this very decade, one man, a Doctor Hammersmith exposes his Z-ray theory, and an accident unleashes Z-waves all over the world, changing people and places, into more… interesting ones. Soon, men and women become gifted as daredevils, mesmerists and stalwarts. Weird or desolate places give birth to strange civilizations and ancient mysteries (as Z-waves travel back (and forth) in time.)

You play one of these individuals. If you have played Trinity, and or Aberrant, you are familiar with the idea of super-powered people and the Æon Society (later Æon Trinity). The characters available in the Adventure! Era are the daredevils (people with uncanny luck and abilities, but not essentially super-powered), mesmerists (somewhat weaker versions of Trinity’s Psions) and stalwarts (very weak forms of what you’d call a Nova in Aberrant). Each of these three categories have their gimmicks and benefits.

The daredevils can be the best in the world at what they do best, say, like the world’s finest surgeon. They also have incredible amounts of good fortune (in mechanical terms, they have one type of Knack that give them what seems to be amazing luck). Mesmerists are those who command their (and other people’s) minds. They can also develop advanced scientific breakthroughs and are, generally speaking, mental geniuses. Stalwarts are physical prodigies. They can literarily have bodies of bronze, and super-fists of sheer destruction. These people’s minds are also capable of processing even more advanced scientific discoveries than mesmerists.

In my opinion, though, the real salt of the game are the daredevils. They are, also, the most common type of “gifted people” around by the 1920s and 30s. One important bit, as I asked myself upon first hearing of this game, you might ask yourself as well: “must you play a character that works for Æon?” Not at all. There are various organizations, and your character doesn't have to belong to any of them.

As for the game’s system, well, it is the same as the one found in Aberrant and Trinity. There are, however, some changes, mostly in the combat section. Characters in Adventure! can easily fight several opponents at a time, and fist-fighting is given a slight advantage to make it more desirable by players. We are also introduced to the Virtue/Vice pair under each Nature Archetype and characters are able to get a sixth dot in some traits, to reflect their unique prowess in some areas. There are some new Backgrounds, and most of the powers (Knacks) are described in an interesting and funny fashion, revealing, yet again, the light-hearted ambience that’s in the heart of this game, as opposed to the all-encompassing-conspiracy of Aberrant and the fear of the unknown in Trinity.

One thing I liked a lot about this game is its versatility, as it’s designed to cover each and any kind of pulp action stories, even with a little dose of horror, if that’s what you like. You can play a two-fisted crime-fighter in the New York City underbelly, or an exploratory/treasure-hunter in the jungles of the Belgian Congo, even a masked avenger or a mad scientist obsessed with world domination! The possibilities are only limited by your imagination. Meet face to face with a villain who calls himself the “King of the World” or ride your biplane into battle against an armada of zeppelins, controlled by a nut who wishes to bring humanity into the skies! Put the exclamation mark in “Adventure!” while you climb Mount Everest in search for the mythical yeti! This and a lot more, for only 10¢! (Well, nowadays, that amount will at least cover the character sheet’s photocopy cost.)

The main book’s layout and design are superb. An excellent job was made at making the book look like a dime novel of ages past. The pages have an aged look and the cover even hosts the “10¢” price!

I must leave you now, since my most esteemed colleague, Dr. Winfrey Woodlong has sent me a frenzied telegram asking for my help. His crew disappeared in the Amazon three days ago while they were investigating rumours of the fabled Fountain of Youth. My private plane, steered by the world’s one and only “Ace” Burton, takes off in about ten minutes. I will contact you when I’m back… if I return, that is!

Reviewed by Matías Timm