"Abattoir 8" is Bloody, Grimdark Fun!

It's been a while since I've done a review of anything, but lately I have been craving some adventure in a gritty, nasty, dark sci-fi setting. Most games I've come across that are meant for such games, like Dark Heresy or Mutant Chronicles, just haven't been scratching that itch for me. A big part of the reason, though, is the systems just don't jive well with me, or with the folks who tend to sit around my tables.

Which is why I was very interested in Grimmerspace when I found out about it.

For those who didn't see the Kickstarter when it went around, Grimmerspace is a project from Iron GM Games, with names like Richard Pett and Sean Astin (yes, that one) attached to it. A dark and brutal sci-fi setting that takes place on the rim of known space filled with bizarre aberrations and cosmic horrors, the game pits hard-bitten warriors and sci-fi protagonists against the forces of magic from the deep blackness. To paraphrase Mr. Astin, if you've ever wanted to shoot a wizard in the neck, it's time to lock and load, soldier!

Just make sure you bring your A-game.

Best of all, one of the flavors the setting comes in is Starfinder compatible, which was right up my alley. And while the core book isn't available yet, the module Abattoir 8 is out, and I managed to get my hands on a bloody little copy of it.

Grimdark Goodness!

First things first, for all the folks scratching their heads and remembering when I wrote Starfinder is My Biggest Gaming Disappointment of 2017, let me remind you of a message that might have gotten lost in that old post. My complaint was not that the system was bad. In fact, I believe I said that as a sci-fi game it was perfectly accessible, and pretty solid mechanically. My complaint was that Golarion's solar system was still the primary setting, but none of the magic, mysticism, and sheer fantastical nonsense of the old Pathfinder setting was part of the game even though they were supposed to be set in the same world.

By using a completely different setting, Grimmerspace immediately throws those objections of mine out the window! Especially when the setting it uses is meant to focus more heavily on traditional sci-fi elements, which is perfectly in-line with what Starfinder was designed for as a system.

So, let's get into the nitty gritty!

So, about Abattoir 8...

The general setup is that you and your party come to the orbiting food satellite designated Abattoir 8 because something has gone wrong. Communications have ceased, and the final transmissions were far from comforting. When you arrive at the food processing center, you find chaos, mayhem, and death. Bodies float in the black, and inside the station something has gone on a rampage. People have died the wrong way... and many of them have the marks of teeth. Human teeth.

With no way to get back on the sling ferry you took, the party must face the things that were once the employees of Abattoir 8, and hope to come out alive.

Dynamic and Unique

First things first, this module leans hard into the horrific nature of the setting. If you've ever wanted to see the bastard child of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Event Horizon, then boy oh boy are you going to love this adventure!

In addition to providing a solid setting and intriguing premise, though, the enemies in the module don't just wait around in one room to be found and fought. Events are set in motion as soon as the party arrives on-site, and what they choose to do (or not do) will affect how things play out. Whether they're stealthy and sneaky, whether they try to hack the remaining security system, attempt to use diplomacy on the individuals they come across, or whether they try to kick in the door guns blazing will all have different results.

That is a hard thing to write, and I salute the individuals who designed the encounters with a variety of resolutions and triggers in mind. It puts the tools into the hands of the storyteller, and avoids railroading the players while they try to solve the mystery of just what in the hell went wrong in this place.

Spoilers: It was something BAD!

By the time the party navigates the damaged food processing plant, they'll have gotten a solid grasp on the setting, endured several traumatic horrors, and will have reached around level 3. So already it's a pretty beefy adventure.

However, it should be said that this game is going full grimdark. Things are a little vicious in this setup, and it is perfectly possible that you and your fellow party members meet a horrible, bloody fate. There are very few safeguards in place to prevent the villains from winning, and you'll need luck, skill, and tactical acumen to come through with all your limbs as well as your sanity intact! With that said, if you want a grim, survival horror game that will hang you from a meat hook and leave you gasping for more (especially since Abattoir 8 is the first half of a two-part adventure) then I highly recommend checking this out. It doesn't cost much, and you get some serious bang for your buck.

I have yet to run this module for my own group (though I'm considering it), but I can say that just reading through it has got me eagerly anticipating the release of the full Grimmerspace core book!

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That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday!

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