The Realm of Gaian Enoch - A Dark, Post-Apocalyptic Fantasy RPG

The world as it was is over. The War of The Ashes rent civilization asunder, and it left nothing but ruin in its wake. There is no time for rest... no time for healing. There are horrors that lurk on the fringes, and which stalk through the wreckage of cities and towns, seeking to devour what's left. This world needs heroes now more than ever... and they are rising from the ashes. Unions of ancient powers with mortal flames burn bright, but will they be able to kindle something to push back the darkness? Or will they just be the last gasp before the fire goes out forever?

If that little piece strikes you, and makes you wonder what the hell it is I'm talking about, then you need to check out The Realm of Gaian Enoch!

Seriously... if that intrigues you, check it out for yourself!

But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

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A Game of Dark Fantasy in a Broken World

For those who are getting a bit of a Dark Souls vibe from the introductory part of this week's entry, I feel that's not far off in the kind of feeling you should bring to the game. It's not mechanically similar, mind you, but that was the vibe I've gotten the longer I've looked through the game, the art, and the kinds of arcs players will be expected to go through.

And if you haven't grabbed the game for yourself yet, I'd recommend stopping by the Arrowland Games YouTube channel to check out what Tony Rowland, the game's creator, has to say about this RPG!

Though I haven't run the game for my own table yet, I have been keeping a close eye on what its creator is doing, and I wanted to take this week's Monday post to make some more folks aware of this game. Because I have a soft spot for dark and fantastical things, and too many games that go grim are either something that comes around to being tongue-in-cheek like Mork Borg, or it goes for the rules-light approach (and often both). The Realm of Gaian Enoch, though, is something that is definitely giving us all a unique opportunity... if we're willing to step through the doors to take it!

If this game peaks your interest, make sure you go to the Arrowland Games YouTube channel in order to watch the creator's videos (and subscribe to the channel while you're at it), and check out all the releases that have come out for the game thus far:

- The Realm of Gaian Enoch, Core Rulebook

- The Realm of Gaian Enoch, Blood in The Snow (Scenario)

- The Realm of Gaian Enoch, Premade Characters

- The Realm of Gaian Enoch, Gallery of Horrors (Volume 1)

Being an indie creators is a tough gig, so consider checking out this game and setting to see if we can boost their signal, and get the juice going for future releases!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Blue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Dark Horizons: A Post-Apocalyptic 1d10 Gaming Review

It's been a fair bit of time since I took one of my early week posts to review an RPG, so I figured it was well past time for another installment. And if you're one of those players or Game Masters who wants a game that is relatively simple to play, but which still gives you a lot of options for customization and game options, then you should definitely check out the 1d10 gaming system by GG Games.

And if you've been craving a game set in a post-apocalyptic dystopia that's notably different from the one we live in day-to-day, then you should definitely give Dark Horizons a look for yourself!

Gas mask optional, depending on table vaccination status.

Before we get into it this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron!

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The 1d10 System, And The End of The World

Folks who know me know my opinion on rules light games. Generally speaking I don't really enjoy them, as I like games that provide players with a lot of options and choices so they can meaningfully customize the characters they're playing, and interact with the world in a myriad of ways. However, the 1d10 system by GG Games is something I haven't come across since Savage Worlds; a game that feels like a rules light game, but which doesn't skimp on options and customization.

There's a lot beneath the surface, is what I'm saying.

As an example, take Dark Horizons, the game that was sent to me for review purposes by the publisher. The book is meant for those who want to run a post-apocalyptic RPG, but there isn't a specific meta attached to this game. So whether you want to run a zombie apocalypse, a plague world, a nuclear hellscape full of rad mutants, or any other kind of setting, this book is meant to help you do that. Beyond that, though, making a character is extremely simple. You have three stats (Social, Mental, Physical), a handful of skills, your character species, and bam, you're off to the races! Not only that, but all you need to play the game is a single, 10-sided die. Roll the die, add your bonuses from your attribute and/or skill, any special abilities, and you're done!

At this point I was beginning to feel some trepidation. I'm all for games that don't introduce needless overcomplication, but that seemed a little simplistic for a full RPG. It was almost simple enough you could do a board game with it, a la Hero Quest. But then I looked up and realized I was less than a third of the way through the book. That was when the ride started picking up speed!

Because not long after this initial run down of starting attributes and skills, the game started going into the Features you could add to your character. Similar to feats in Pathfinder, or merits in World of Darkness, these Features gave you all sorts of interesting abilities you could use to really customize your play style, power set, and abilities. In addition to the Features you have Mutations (since mutants are an old standby of the post-apocalyptic genre), and these provided a whole new way for you to add abilities and unique powers to a character. Lastly, in addition to the basic starting character species, there's a whole slew of alternatives Game Masters can make available based on the type of apocalypse they're running, ranging from aliens, to androids, to fey creatures, and more!

Lots of Options, Not a Lot of Numbers

The actual numbers you deal with in Dark Horizons are relatively small. Unless you gear every aspect of your character to being good at particular tasks, it's unlikely you'll ever have a bonus in the double digits until you're approaching the end of the campaign. However, while the game has a leveling system, it simply gives you a certain amount of points each level to distribute as you wish to. So whether you want to add new mutations to your character, increase your starting attributes, acquire a new Feature, etc., those decisions are left up to you!

This provides a unique experience, and it's one that definitely hits all those sweet spots for me as a player. Because there's nothing like knowing you can make your character as simple and straightforward, or as batshit nuts, as you want to get with it!

End of the day, I would highly recommend this game. Especially if you're the sort of Game Master who likes an RPG that fits a genre, but doesn't want to limit you too much when it comes to world building, setting, and the specifics of the game you're actually running.

But wait, there's more!

If Dark Horizons isn't your jam, though, don't worry! GG Games has other options for you, each of which contains the necessary rules and system overview to play without needing to buy a base book as well. So if you're in the market for any of the following genres, check these out!

- Wild Frontiers: A Wild West RPG with focus on gambling, reputations, duels, and dime novel legends!

- Uncharted Territory: A pulp-era RPG, mysticism and adventure run rampant between these pages!

- Distant Lands: Fantasy done differently... try this one if you want something different than D&D.

- Beyond Terra: Sci-fi in all its myriad forms! Cyborgs and aliens, to high-tech low-lifes.

- Galvanic Adventures: Victorian fiction in all its dark and dreary details. What lurks in the darkness of the hearts of the world's cities?

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my cat noir thriller Marked Territory, its sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Just How Adequate is "The Adequate Commoner"?

So, I was asked to review this product months ago, and every time I tried to get around to it a piece of the sky would fall, preventing me from doing so. So, today, I'd like to present my thoughts on The Adequate Commoner, which is a 3rd party Pathfinder book from Misfit Studios.

What could possibly go wrong?

What Is "The Adequate Commoner"?

All right, first things first. The Adequate Commoner is a handbook for players who want to de-power their games. This is a book for parties who think NPC classes are given entirely too much power, and who really want to achieve victory through nothing more than careful planning, the right gear, and a ridiculous amount of luck. It is a book that lays out class options if you want all of your PCs to have a terrible BAB progression, nearly non-existent weapon proficiency, almost no armor use, and barely more than average hit points.

If that's your kind of jam, then keep on reading.

The stated goal of the adequate commoner is to issue your players a challenge; can you still become heroes without all of the class abilities and swagger that come with adventuring classes? Can you stare death in the face, knowing that you are not powerful adventurers who've trained their whole lives, or been gifted with strange powers? And, of course, will all of this lead to deeper roleplaying experiences, new stories, and more compelling characters?

I don't know... maybe.

Does It Work?

The Adequate Commoner is full of flavor, and it shows a lot of ways you can make commoners surprisingly effective (especially at low levels). By focusing on skills, attributes, equipment, and racial abilities (items which the book argues are often afterthoughts for more traditional adventurers), this book forces players to find alternative methods to rise to the challenge of living in a dangerous fantasy world.

However, The Adequate Commoner should be thought of as a completely separate game from traditional Pathfinder. The reason for that is because everyone at the table has to agree to play commoners, and the DM has to be able to craft an adventure that suits these characters both thematically and mechanically. Commoners are people with average, everyday jobs, and an adventure needs to provide enough of a hook to make them leave their places in society in order to combat a threat, or chase a macguffin. You know, like defending their town from a goblin incursion, or throwing a magic ring into a volcano. You also can't be out adventuring with three commoners and a wizard, otherwise three quarters of the party are going to be the sidekicks to the one adventurer's quest.

It's a functional idea, and the book lays out creative solutions players may never have thought of before. It won't appeal to everyone, though, since not all gamers want to play Pathfinder on Nightmare mode. If it sounds like your cup of tea, though, then check out The Adequate Commoner for yourself!

As always, thanks for dropping in! Don't forget to follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter if you want to stay up to date on my latest, and if you'd like to help support Improved Initiative, then all you need to do is pop over to my Patreon page to become a patron today!