The Godsend Agenda
The Godsend Agenda
First off, this isn’t a d20 book … rather, the Godsend Agenda is a setting/rule book for West End Games’ d6 System. Those of you that have played role-playing games for the last decade may recognize West End Games as the people who made the old d6 Star Wars system. Well, they’re back and they’ve broaden the old Star Wars system into a more generic rule base. Khepera Publishing, one of the first licensees of this new d6 system, are the creators of the Godsend Agenda, the first foray into superhero rules (as well as a setting).
That being said, the Godsend Agenda is a great buy. Slightly less than the price for a Dungeon and Dragons book, the Godsend Agenda weighs in at 275 pages and includes not only an interesting setting, but also the rules to play the game. A hardcover book with a color cover, this all-in-one package has a black and white interior with some great graphic design sense. The interior art is well drawn and conveys the feel of the world and genre well.
Split into two sections (rules and settings), the Godsend Agenda is a well written book. The rules are easy to understand (as the d6 system itself is a bit easy to work with) and introduces some new ideas to the system. For example, there are no templates in Godsend Agenda. Instead they use Archetypes that are reminiscent of d20 Modern’s Occupations or the Marvel Superhero Adventure Game’s callings. With each one, you define the basic motivation of your hero’s drive and gain a concept bonus that’s appropriate to the chosen drive. Fans of Mutants & Masterminds will notice a similar idea when it comes to power level, though the Godsend Agenda’s rules for levels are a bit more structured. Most of the concepts in character creation are similar to the d6 Core mechanics: you choose dice for your stats, gain advantages and disadvantages and buy equipment. The powers section is quite thorough, covering everything from super-speed to basic energy blasts. Fans of the DC Universe RPG that came out a few years back (published by West End Games) will notice a few similarities between the powers in both systems … well it seems that’s what Khepera used as a basis but expanded upon it and gave it much needed details. Akin to that, Godsend Agenda also expands the rules of d6 Core to accommodate for the powers within, whether it be for skills or in combat. Lastly, there are also rules for the construction and use of gadgets. Heralding back to the days of the Marvel Superhero Game (the old FASERIP system), the gadget rules seem to share some of the ideas as that venerated system. In all, the rules are very fluid and allow some flexibility. I think the only drawback are that there could be some more powers covering grand sorcery or reality warping … though, with a few of the powers, pretty much any power can be simulated if defining it right.
The setting seems Iron Age on the exterior and reminds one of such comics as Wildcats, X-Men and even the old New Universe titles. Mix some of the ideas presented with classical mythology and you have a start to understanding the setting. Don’t be mistaken though … the setting has a thorough overview and presents a number of species to play as well as many ties that characters could be connected to. If the setting information wasn’t enough, there are several NPCs that may be used, all of which are illustrated and are fleshed out with brief backgrounds. This includes stats for the Egyptian pantheon, as well as representatives from the various species and organizations. Finally, towards the back, there are cliff notes on gamemastering Godsend Agenda, which include “My Way” segments that give some insight into how some of the authors would recommend the game to be played (at least in their eyes). This is followed up by more characters, most of which are meant as opposition for the PCs.
Not only would I recommend the Godsend Agenda, I’d also encourage anyone looking for a good treatment of the comic book/superhero genre to look at this book. It’s informative, easy to pick up and, most of all, fun. Characters can be made in short time and most of the rules can be added to or from the d6 Core system (which includes d6 Adventure, d6 Fantasy and d6 Space). In all … a great system for the genre.
