Spirit of 77 is a combination of street racers and kung-fu fighters, cross-country road races, and big scores in the big city with a killer '70s soundtrack. If you have ever wanted to cross paths with Bigfoot and punch him right in the face because he’s asking for it, then Spirit of 77 is for you.
Spirit of 77 is a Powered by the Apocalypse role-playing game published by Monkeyfun Studios and funded via Kickstarter in 2015. Characters have attributes, a role, a story, a buzz, hooks to each other, and thangs.
Role is what your character does right now or has done in the recent past. Examples include the Bopper who commands a bunch of thugs, the crazy driving skills of the Good Old Boy, and the Vigilante who solves problems with a street howitzer in hand. Each role provides special moves that work like unique skills in the game.
The background and origins of a character are covered by what the game calls Story. Story includes Ex-Con, Kung Fu, One Bad Mother (complete with street cred and strut), and War Vet. Story nets you more special moves.
Buzz covers motivation rolled into a catchphrase. "In a world gone mad, them Duke Boys are looking for Adventure." Connections to other characters are covered under Hooks. Your character's Thang is a permanent part of your character and can never be permanently taken or destroyed. A Thang might be an Animal Companion or a Signature Weapon.
Characters take wounds from conflicts and suffer harm which can reduce their effectiveness. Characters can choose to take a scar instead of the higher level harm levels which reduces an attribute by one permanently but can prevent death.
The DJ (GM) receives great roleplaying advice along with a series of moves they can make. Some are surprising like separate the PCs or capture someone. Each move is meant to add new challenges for the PCs to overcome. They also demonstrate how the designers envisioned Spirit of 77 being played and show how to run the game to achieve that vision.
Moves for DJs do not require rolls but may trigger a move from a PC. If an enraged Bigfoot tries to rip Dapper Dan into two pieces, Dapper Dan reacts with a move such as Take a Hit or Get Outta the Way to react to the attack.
DJs also have a chapter of advanced advice covering how to create adventures. In addition to the steps of sketching out the basics of what might happen, the chapter also explains that everyone should play to see what happens. The DJ isn’t writing a novel and the ideas of what happens should be loose. While experienced GMs should know this it doesn’t hurt to have it in writing in a game.
Advanced advice also suggests giving the PCs what they want. Let the Tough Guy punch people in the face. And then have consequences, such as raising the heat, from naturally from the moves the PC make.
NPC and location templates are included to help the DJ get started. The DJ also receives information on the world of '77 and the city itself. Weird events, like Nixon staying in power and Moonbase: Roanoke, are explained. The city is where all the action takes place in the game and includes many sample businesses and NPCs.
Spirit of 77 is an entire game and setting packed into one book. Players will take part in high octane crazy adventures while listening to the music of the '70s. DJs will enjoy surprise after surprise as they react to the PCs' shenanigans via the City and its denizens. Spirit of 77 is a joy ride I highly recommend you take.
This article was contributed by Charles Dunwoody as part of EN World's Columnist (ENWC) program. Please note that Charles is a participant in the OneBookShelf Affiliate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to DriveThruRPG. We are always on the lookout for freelance columnists! If you have a pitch, please contact us!
Spirit of 77 is a Powered by the Apocalypse role-playing game published by Monkeyfun Studios and funded via Kickstarter in 2015. Characters have attributes, a role, a story, a buzz, hooks to each other, and thangs.
Role is what your character does right now or has done in the recent past. Examples include the Bopper who commands a bunch of thugs, the crazy driving skills of the Good Old Boy, and the Vigilante who solves problems with a street howitzer in hand. Each role provides special moves that work like unique skills in the game.
The background and origins of a character are covered by what the game calls Story. Story includes Ex-Con, Kung Fu, One Bad Mother (complete with street cred and strut), and War Vet. Story nets you more special moves.
Buzz covers motivation rolled into a catchphrase. "In a world gone mad, them Duke Boys are looking for Adventure." Connections to other characters are covered under Hooks. Your character's Thang is a permanent part of your character and can never be permanently taken or destroyed. A Thang might be an Animal Companion or a Signature Weapon.
Characters take wounds from conflicts and suffer harm which can reduce their effectiveness. Characters can choose to take a scar instead of the higher level harm levels which reduces an attribute by one permanently but can prevent death.
The DJ (GM) receives great roleplaying advice along with a series of moves they can make. Some are surprising like separate the PCs or capture someone. Each move is meant to add new challenges for the PCs to overcome. They also demonstrate how the designers envisioned Spirit of 77 being played and show how to run the game to achieve that vision.
Moves for DJs do not require rolls but may trigger a move from a PC. If an enraged Bigfoot tries to rip Dapper Dan into two pieces, Dapper Dan reacts with a move such as Take a Hit or Get Outta the Way to react to the attack.
DJs also have a chapter of advanced advice covering how to create adventures. In addition to the steps of sketching out the basics of what might happen, the chapter also explains that everyone should play to see what happens. The DJ isn’t writing a novel and the ideas of what happens should be loose. While experienced GMs should know this it doesn’t hurt to have it in writing in a game.
Advanced advice also suggests giving the PCs what they want. Let the Tough Guy punch people in the face. And then have consequences, such as raising the heat, from naturally from the moves the PC make.
NPC and location templates are included to help the DJ get started. The DJ also receives information on the world of '77 and the city itself. Weird events, like Nixon staying in power and Moonbase: Roanoke, are explained. The city is where all the action takes place in the game and includes many sample businesses and NPCs.
Spirit of 77 is an entire game and setting packed into one book. Players will take part in high octane crazy adventures while listening to the music of the '70s. DJs will enjoy surprise after surprise as they react to the PCs' shenanigans via the City and its denizens. Spirit of 77 is a joy ride I highly recommend you take.
This article was contributed by Charles Dunwoody as part of EN World's Columnist (ENWC) program. Please note that Charles is a participant in the OneBookShelf Affiliate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to DriveThruRPG. We are always on the lookout for freelance columnists! If you have a pitch, please contact us!
