Sabledrake Magazine - Review of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG

His whole life had led him to this moment; monumental, even unbelievable, turns of events, all leading him to stand outside these cemetery gates. The moonlight washed his swarthy skin with an eerie glow. Pulling smoke into his lungs from the cigarette pinched between his fingers, his dark eyes searched the tombstones for her.

She was in there, somewhere, hunting her prey and running her programming. A small tingle traveled up his spine at the thought. From the earliest days of his studies, he’d devoted himself to his Watcher duties. Yet year after year, Apu was passed over when they assigned potential slayers to be Watched. Running his short, stubby fingers through his thick, black hair, he remembered the flames in his cheeks as a new excuse was passed down as to why he wasn’t chosen. Finally tired of the wait, his rashness led him down the road of cybernetics and robotics. He would prove to them all that he could be a Watcher by building a slayer to accurately test his instructing techniques.

Lifting a small display screen in his free hand, the Watcher monitored his slayer’s progress through her eyes. A bone-ridged vampire leapt into view, in full attack mode. He watched as a boot encased foot swung across the screen, connecting with the jaw of the demon. Along one side of the screen, the robot’s programming scrolled through the various responses to the stimuli. Taking another drag of the cigarette, Apu nodded and smiled, pleased with the readings. He dropped the butt, grinding it out under his foot as he set across the grass to find his slayer.

~@~@~@~@~@~@~

“So, now that we have a volunteer for our Slayer, who wants to be her Watcher?” As the Director, or Master of Ceremonies, of this inaugural game session for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Roleplaying Game, I looked out over my group of players for another volunteer. Out of the four, the bravest of gentlemen, Brian, had offered to play the Slayer, fulfilling the title role or main character of the group. Now we needed to decide upon her mentor and trainer -- her "Giles" or "Yoda" if you will - for every Slayer needs her Watcher. Since the group opted to create their own characters rather than play Buffy and Co., (an option available in the game) I hoped one of them would create a character that was as unique and interesting as our Slayer. Luckily, with the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Roleplaying Game, the only limitation was their imaginations.

“I will,” Nick offered.

“We can be experienced heroes, right?” Matt questioned. Since the four friends sitting around my dining room table were experienced role players, I decided to be very lenient with the rules of the game. Of course, that did not stop the boys from trying to make the most out of what they could with the books they had before them.

Nick flipped through the rulebook to "Chapter 2: Character Creation." He started divvying up his twenty-five attribute points amongst the six categories, Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Perception and Willpower, investing heavily in dexterity and intelligence. His Watcher’s coordination, agility and wisdom would be his greatest asset. Unfortunately, having invested so many points, his willpower - his mental strength and self-control - ended up being below average.

“So, are you British?” Brian quipped, smiling.

Nick flipped through the qualities and drawbacks, those little quirks that help round out a character. He had to spend his points on the Watcher package, which would give him extra levels in specific attributes and skills. “No, I don’t think so.”

Reclaiming one point, he gave his character the drawback of being a minority. “Think he’s going to be Indian.”

“Yeah, that’s good! Is he going to be able to cast spells like Giles?” Mike asked.

“Sure. Plus, I’m thinking resisting demon powers would be helpful.”

Rounding out his features, Nick moved on to disburse his Skill points. Complementing his Watcher type by investing most of his points in Medieval, Occultism and Knowledge, he finished by investing his remaining points in Art and Computers.

“Art?” asked Matt.

“Yeah, um, he likes to draw.” Nick smiled.

“Great - like Angelus. Maybe you should take ‘Emotional Problems.’”

Everyone chuckled. “I would laugh, but I’m ‘Humorless’, remember?”

With Nick and Brian occupied construction their Slayer and Watcher characters, I, enjoying my Director’s hat, turned to Mike and Matt. “So, boys, who’s going to round out our supporting cast?”

~@~@~@~@~@~@~

Sitting down with players after the character creation session, I was able to ask them about creating a role-playing game character using the Unisystem featured in Eden Studio’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer Roleplaying Game system.

Have you roleplayed before? If so, what and how much?

Mike: I have played Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (2nd edition), Dungeons and Dragons (3rd Edition), Shadownrun, Weird Wars, Hackmaster and the D20 System Star Wars. I played for the past four years and still currently play Weird Wars, Hackmaster and D&D 3E. I have played Eden Studio’s Hack!! Card game many times. My favorite system is the D20 system for its simplicity and completeness.
Brian: I have been gaming for several years. My favorite system is the D20 System.
Matt: I have played Dungeon and Dragons, Shadowrun, Vampire LARP and numerous other games for twelve years.

Where you able to create the character you wanted in the current gaming rules?

Mike: Yes, the rules seemed very solid. Also, very easy to understand.
Matt: Yes and then some!
Brian: Yes, after long hours of research (please note the sarcasm), I was able to play my character the way it was meant to be. I was happy!

If so, what part of the process would you have improved? If not, what part of the process prevented you from creating the character you wanted?

Nick: I would like to see more bonuses for the Hero and White Hat character classes. There seems to be no real reason to not play an experienced hero or, at least, the incentive not to [use an experienced hero].
Mike: Limiting certain combinations (such as Robot Slayer or Robot Werewolf) would keep the “cheese factor” down. The system was not limiting at all.
Brian: I have not found any problems with playing the character I wanted. I did find a couple of combinations that should not be allowed, such as a slayer bot (which I’m playing).

Do you like using a point-based system to create characters?

Mike: Yes, nothing is worse than being stuck with a character you don’t want to play or who just plain sucks. The point system allows you to make a character you want, not what the dice wants you to play.
Brian: Yes. It makes it easier for newbies to learn a game using the point system.
Matt: Yes, much better than rolling dice and trying to use those scores to create the character you want.

Are you a fan of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television show?

Matt: Yeah, I’ve been watching since season two.
Nick: A little over a year, yes.
Mike: Yes, I am a fan and I’ve been watching for about a year.

Not only does the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Roleplaying Game offer the veteran gamer a solid system to use, but it presents the Buffy fan with new insights to their favorite show. C.J. Carella, writer and game designer, does an excellent job of capturing the show’s style in his writing, blending the right amount of solid information and humor to make the book a fun read even for a beginner. Filled with quotes, pictures and facts from the show, this book is a great title for the experienced gamer to add to an existing collection, while the Buffy fan who might be a gaming neophyte will find this to be an excellent introduction to the world of roleplaying.

Part Two

Apu watched with delight as his robotic Slayer moved to engage the group of vampires they’d stumbled upon during patrol. Flanked by Jack with his tazer gun at the ready, he watched her plant a stake in one.

“I like them when they stand together,” she comments to Chris as he entered the circle of demons. “Makes my job easier.”

“I don’t know,” the chipped vampire responds, “Sometimes I like a challenge.”

An electrical volt interrupts their banter. One vampire caught unawares in the attack drops in a crackling blue light show while an arrow from the Watcher’s bow staggers another.

“Gotcha,” Jack whispered as the two humans circled behind the grave markers for better position.

“Fangs won’t affect me, friend.” Chris blocked the vampire’s bite with a blow of his baton along his adversary’s neck, gaining him a grunt of pain.

Dropping the loaded bow in his hand, the Watcher didn’t bother to reload. His Slayer and her vampire companion would soon dust the rest of the villains. He watched her ax flash in the moonlight. Smiling, he reached for the pack of cigarettes in his shirt pocket. Tonight would be considered a victory, a gang of vampires dispatched without any apparent damage to his friends.

~@~@~@~@~@~@~

“I want to grab the guy I’m fighting,” Matt explained. In the “heat of battle” everyone is eager for a turn. But as the Director (or game master), I keep track of everyone’s movements, based on their statistics and skills.

“How do you want to grab him?” I asked. Depending on the type of hold Matt wants his character to employ, I would have to combine his character’s Dexterity attribute along with his level of skill in Kung Fu (the generic fighting technique for the game). Also, I had to account for the difficulty of the action and modify his role accordingly.

“I want to do a full nelson, pin his arms with mine like this,” he illustrated with the gesture. Though the hold seems simple, I still decided to give him a difficult modifier to his roll, subtracting two from his total.

“Why you doin’ that?” Brian asked.

“Yeah, shouldn’t you just go for the kill?” Nick added.

“Since I already used my turn to attack, I thought I’d give up my defensive turn to hold this guy. Butch here’s going to go again before I can, and she can slay him.”

Everyone nodded in agreement with the plan. Matt rolled his dice and added the number on to his skill and attribute levels, recorded on his character sheet. I did the same for the non-player character (NPC) vampire I controlled for the battle. However, since I rolled so low, my NPC did not resist the attack, even with the difficulty modifier taking away from the total. Based on the Success Levels Table, I told my cast member that his character had a good hold on his foe.

“You got him,” I announced, trying to hide my smile. Matt was obviously pleased that his course of action worked and doesn’t leave him vulnerable for my NPC’s turn.

Recorded on a sheet, I checked my list and saw that Mike’s soldier was next in this combat turn.

“I want to reserve my turn, in case we’re attacked.” Delaying his attack for now, he would be able to use his turn right before being attacked. He ran the risk of losing the unused attack completely if he didn’t use it by the end of the turn.

Nodding, I placed a mark next to his character’s name to help me remember.

~@~@~@~@~@~@~

Sitting down once again after our first role-playing game session, I asked the players about combat using the Unisystem featured in Eden Studio’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer Role-Playing Game system.

Did you find the rules for combat too complex to effectively play, not complex enough to give a realistic combat scenario, or adequate to provide realistic role-play?

Mike: The rules were good because they allowed for combat to go quickly, but left plenty of room for detail.
Brian: No, pretty simple. I think a new gamer could understand it easily enough.
Nick: They’re okay -- pretty simple. Quick, opposed roles are good.

Did the character you created perform in combat as you expected?

Brian: No, she didn’t kill all five vamps in one round. And it took two hits rather than one to kill the pincher clam demons. Just kidding! Went well…
Nick: Yes, I am an effective smoker. As a supporting cast, I have a very small role in combat.
Matt: Yes, as long as I didn’t get too fancy.

Did the damage system give an accurate portrayal of a combat situation?

Mike: Yes and no. Battle [in the game] is good, but my cigarettes didn’t slow my running in the least. I wasn’t even winded.
Brian: Yes, The Slayer should be a badass and she is.
Matt: Yeah, people got beaten pretty badly.

Did the healing system provide a more realistic sense to the combat system?

Matt: The only people who healed were the vampire and the robot slayer. You tell me.
Brian: Yes, I was repaired very effectively. The time that was spent to repair the damage seemed fair.

Able to depict a real sense of combat, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Role-Playing Game not only provides the rules for a veteran gamer to perform to their level of playing ability, but keeps things simple enough for a first-time player to follow. Determining initiative turns and movement remains simple, while the addition of combat maneuvers and base roles modifiers help flesh out the full battling experience. The base of any role-playing game is the combat system; if that structure fails to provide a realistic sense of action, then the game tends not to be of quality. This game definitely has quality.

Part Three

The pentagram had been painted in the proper size and color. The candles flickered in the basement’s air. According to his hours worth of research, Apu [the Watcher in this session] chanted the sacred words. "Please don’t let me fail."

Jack’s [the session's erstwhile Riley] military training helped with their electronic research: through the web and various knowledge databases, he had tracked down the symbols on the bags the demons carried. But Marshall Manchester’s defunct toy factory provided no further clues to the origin or type of monster engaged in the graveyard the night before, nor did it answer the question of why the recovered baggage contained children’s clothes. And with missing children turning up dead, Apu knew he had to find answers fast.

“Orbilang, dweller in the dark corners, I call you,” the Watcher chanted. He held his breath. The room was silent. He closed both his eyes to mutter the passage once more in his mind - pushing with his will to ratify his intent.

“Hey, bub, you gonna wake up there?” The voice, surprisingly, had a New York accent. “I ain’t got all day here.”

The blue-skinned fiend that stood in the circle didn’t even look at him. Instead, he was holding out his hand to admire the high-polished claws extending from the ends of nine fingers. The sprig of bright pink fur between the two, large ram’s horn that adorned either side of his head only served to compliment the red of his three eyes. His stylishly tailored, three-piece suit formed perfectly to his humanoid body. Though a bit tacky, the hooves extending out of his pant legs also had a high sheen.

~@~@~@~@~@~@~

“With a Will of two,” Nick references his character sheet for his character’s statistic in Willpower to make sure he remembers correctly, “And Apu’s proficiency in Occultism at seven, that gives me a nine. I rolled a six, so that gives me a fifteen.”

Having decided to custom design a spell to help find the answer, I run over my notes. Since summoning a demon really only affects one person (the demon), as Game Master I decide to tack on a plus one to the spell’s power level (the overall strength of the spell). The higher the number, the more difficult and effective the spell becomes. A Severe Effect Strength penalty is applicable for extreme spells such as reshaping reality or inflicting life-threating injuries. Since summoning a being from another dimension falls into this category, I tack on another two points. Based on the fact that he wanted enough time to “talk up” the summoned creature, Nick went with the Medium duration, giving him an hour per Success Level, which adds another Power Level to the difficulty.

But because of an abundance of Spell Requirements, I subtract one for a Lengthy Ritual. A standard witch could perform a spell quicker. This leaves Nick’s Summon Demon spell with a Spell Power Level of three.

“Well, the Spell’s Power Level is three,” I remind him, suddenly feeling like I’m stuttering.

“He got a Success Level of four,” Brian interjects, having referenced the Success Levels Table. Nick shoots him a glance suggesting he lay off the caffeine.

“So, you got your demon. He’s standing there, all blue and pink, with horns… three piece suit and horns,” I describe. “He stands there admiring his nails, and wants to know what you want.”

"Ask him about the missing kids or the toy company?” Brian suggests.

Matt interrupts the friendly repartee. “We should ask about the demons.”

“Right,” Nick agrees. He looks at me to ask, his voice suddenly higher with an Indian accent. “We have been encountering strange creatures. One minute, they appear human and the next, giant bugs with large pinchers. They carry bags of children’s clothes. I have looked and searched in all my books, but cannot find mention of them.”

Unfortunately, Nick didn’t make his roll earlier in the roleplaying session to succeed in his research. If he had, none of this would be necessary. But this turned out to be more exciting, with the research and development of the spell - for the players as well as the Game Master (namely me). Deciding between this and that, determining the Power Level and Effect turned out to be an interesting experience - almost like setting up the special effects shot on a Buffy episode.

“Well,” I smile, “What you’re facing is just a simple band of G’nirreh Der. They’re a simple demon, living in nomadic tribes, moving between dimensions looking for a home….”

~@~@~@~@~@~@~

After finishing this sitting, I had a few questions for my play-test group concerning some more of the advanced features of Eden Studio’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer Roleplaying Game system.

What did you think of the Spell casting system? Did you find it easy to use and understand?

Matt: I think it is a good way to cast spells. There are many factors in determining the difficulty and outcome. It’s not just *bling*, “Aha! I’ve done it!”
Nick: Kinda, a little complicated to create a spell. Perhaps a more standard spell list would be beneficial.
Brian: I didn’t use the magic system. I was recharging [being a robot].

What do you think of the task resolution system, or the way the Unisystem [the game engine] helped get your tasks done?

Brian: Still got task rending, but so far so good.
Mike: It worked fairly well and I was able to search the Internet and do some sleuth work.
Matt: You can’t just use a skill. You have to know what skill to use and what you’re looking for. And that’s a good thing.

Did you feel that your character’s skills were helpful to today’s scenario?

Matt: Yes, my character kicks butt and does it well. And that’s all he does.
Brian: Yes, very helpful. Apu used magic to help, Jake used the Internet and I, “The Slayer” slayed.
Nick: Yes, the Occult Skill and Sorcery Qualities were useful.

Where would a Slayer be without her support group to help combat the army of evil? Well, probably dead, but fighting and combat doesn’t rule Buffy’s world. Magic, detective work, special skills and knowledge also lend a hand in solving the puzzle created for the roleplaying session. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Roleplaying Game meets the terms to include all aspects of the show. Since not everyone can be “the star” or the Slayer, Eden Studios went out of their way to make sure the supporting cast can be as useful to the game as the Lead by providing essential assistance through the use of Skills and Qualities.

Part Four

Mentally kicking himself for being a fool, Apu [the Watcher in this session] carefully ducked along the defunct conveyer belt. The clues had been there all along: the nearly flawless ocular input device found in the youthful vampire’s hand, the bag of clothes taken from the defeated G’nirreh Der demons, the news clippings from the web about Marshall Manchester disappearing from the mental institution, and the mysterious military envelope with medical reports on the childlike vampires nearly beaten to death. Some Watcher, he figured. His eyes moved to the light area of the warehouse instinctually.

Like mercury, she moved from one blow to the next. Swinging her ax in one hand, slicing through the mechanical robots, the Slayer delivered another round-house hit to the doll-like android.

Chris’ demon guise slid on like a mask as one of the bots sharply jabbed his kidney, while Jack worked to keep the two advancing Ken and Barb ‘bots at bay with stinging tasers, interrupting their progress with volts of electricity.

Not much of a warrior, the swarthy Watcher crept just out of the lime-light, sticking to the shadows. He’d noticed a lone figure, an individual the newly-discovered human-like machines sought to protect. The former toy manufacturer gave the orders to attack, this man ranted and raved about how all would pay for his financial ruin.

But Mr. Manchester noticed the tide changing in the fray. The Slayer moved from one target to the next, dispatching with little fuss. Her vampiric cohort struggled, bloody and bruised, to rip asunder his foes with quick dispatch. Only the soldier, Jack, fell to the fierce blows of the robots - only winded and wounded, but not quite finished.

~@~@~@~@~@~@~

“I want, on my third move for this turn, to punch the second bot there on Jack,” Brian comments, pointing to the markers on the map. With combat, keeping track of heroes, villains and NPCs (non-player characters), a Game Master needs visual aids and a make-shift diorama.

“On my next turn, I’m moving to help Butch there,” Matt comments, pointing to the map.

“I’m still going to move around here to come up behind,” Nick chimes in.

“Right,” I said, noting each of the players’ game plans. “But you need to roll, Slayer, to find out if you hit.”

I don’t know why I’m requiring him to roll since his character’s fighting skills were off the map. She mowed through my bots like they were a box of chocolates on a dateless prom night. Brian rolls, does the math, gets some ridiculously high total that garnishes him many Success Levels (despite the penalty for this third move in a turn) and takes the remaining Life Points away from my Barbie robot.

Using his full turn, Matt counts off the hex spaces, moving his character. He wouldn’t be able to attack, but he does have a Dodge in reserve. With his Life Points down from his previous engagements, he decides to just wait for the attack.

Looking down at my Initiative list, I notice Manchester’s turn. I decide he tries to flee. Turning the marker on the board, I count off his movement. My NPC [Non-Player Character] here didn’t make his perception role; he doesn’t know that he’s running right into Apu’s path.

“Well, I guess that leaves me to apprehend,” Nick grins. Counting off his move, he has enough left over to Grapple. With a quick roll of the dice and the addition of his Strength and Dexterity, the Watcher saves the day by capturing the bad guy.

“Hurray, Nick! Way to go!” cheers Mike. “Just like Scoobie Doo!”

“Yeah,” Nick chuckles. “Now let’s unmask this madman to see who he really is!”

Laughing along, I tell them of the missing detail: Manchester was seeking revenge on the town he believed ruined him by murdering the sons and daughters of the children that wouldn’t buy his toys.

“But I thought the Slayer was suppose to save the day,” jokes Brian.

With his Indian accent, the Watcher mocks taking a long drag from a cigarette. “Not this time, my friend.”

~@~@~@~@~@~@~

For the final game session, I wanted to wrap things up by looking at the over all experience of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Roleplaying Game by Eden Studios.

How would you rate, over all, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Roleplaying Game?

Brian: It’s good. But I think it is more of a Buffy fan-based game. Might be a little off or difficult for those who don’t watch the show.
Matt: It’s a good system, but there are a few rules that need to be fixed; such as certain character combinations and drama points spending. Though with the simple rules in this game, it allows for more role playing and less rule lawyering.
Mike: Over all, this is a very solid roleplaying game. On a scale of eleven to forty-two, with nineteen being the highest and thirty-five being the lowest, I’d rate this a twenty-one. Good game, kept combat quick and kept everything moving.
Nick: pretty good. Simplistic, but good enough for experienced players. Simple combat procedures a major plus.

Would you purchase this game? Would you set up your own campaign and play?

Mike: I would consider purchasing this, and I would play with my amigos.
Matt: Yes, and I have many Buffy fans with which to play.
Brian: Hmmmm, maybe, if I could find others who were interested. Yes, I would make my own campaign because I like the creativity of making my own campaigns.
Nick: Yes, depending on the price. Yes, if I can find enough time for another roleplaying game.

Do you think the Uni System, as presented, seems able to maintain long term campaign or does it appear better for short term sessions?

Nick: Short term sessions would be best.
Matt: Actually, it seems good for both. However, if I had to pick, it would be short term.
Mike: The Uni system seems better for short term sessions, only because the experience is limiting on how advanced you can be.
Brian: It is a little simpler for newbies to learn and easy thinking. Yea, I like it and the length of sessions depends more on the GM (Game Master) and players then the system, I think.

Do you think that the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Roleplaying Game would encourage players to watch the television show?

Brian: Yes, but I think it’s more for fans of the show already.
Mike: Yes, it has the potential to inspire the viewers to be creative with their own characters, and I’m sure an avid viewer could roleplay in the Buffyverse even better than I.
Matt: I don’t think so as probably the only people who will pick it up are already viewers of the show.
Nick: Perhaps, but the game seems targeted to Buffy fans. The effect may bring Buffy fans to other roleplaying games.

The grand decision on Buffy the Vampire Slayer Roleplaying Game by Eden Studios seems to be a resounding success for both fans of the television show and ardent gamers. The Uni System proves to be easy for the new players and yet complex enough to keep a pro satisfied with their roleplaying. Filled with pictures and quotes in a lovely format, the book itself is worth the cost alone. Quite the success for everyone involved.

Title: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Roleplaying Game
Author: C. J. Carella
Publisher: Eden Design Studios
Cost: USA - $40.00
Format: 8.5" x 11" Hardcover, 256 pages, full color interior
ISBN: 1-891153-88-9

Game Review

The Buffy the Vampire Slayer Roleplaying Game

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four