Come Join the Netherstorm!

Just recently finished GMing the first part of a game using the Netherstorm rpg from Thunderhead games.  Matt and I were able to sit down with the creators this past U-Con and play a short scenario and we were both sold on the system after the session.  The system has a lot going for it: no overly complicated heavy handed every-detail-mapped-out world, a combat system that actually keeps the players involved throughout the entire combat, an extremely versatile character and spell creation system, and above all else you can play a 3 foot tall delusional aristocratic cockroach.  Plus in the world of overpriced multiple edition game books you can get a core rulebook for less than twenty dollars with everything you need to play.  And yes all you Planeteers out there can save a tree and get a digital copy for ten.

The game itself has a lighthearted tone which was a surprise to myself, having an unhealthy leaning,(some would call obsession) for games that are gritty and dark.  What, no one gets their skin ripped off or starts eating glass shards because they have seen...to....much....?  Which means that I am unusually hard on light hearted games that do not have a mechanic in for player self destruction (pick you poison: Sanity, Humanity, Mental Balance, etc). 

I would have a disclaimer in my otherwise glowing review, not really a complaint but a FYI.  The character creations system is point buy, which does take some getting used to because no one is holding your hand when it comes to making your character.  No chart is going to tell you that at this level you get these three feats and a bonus skill in this or that.  You can literally create just about any character with a little bit of work.  The plus side to this is that character creation is straightforward and the time it takes to make a character goes down significantly each time you do it.  The second character I made took half the amount of time the first one did and I suspect that I could make a character in about twenty minutes now. 

All in all a great game that I would highly recommend.

Also, giant aristocratic delusional cockroach.

-Cris