Let me start by saying I am not an official employee of Paradigm Concepts, the publisher of this book. I am a Bounty Hunter for AEG, which means I run demo games, but I have the ability to pick and choose which books I use in my demos. I am a registered and regular posting member of the official messageboard. I did not receive this book for free; I purchased it from my local gaming store.
I have decided to review this product to increase the awareness of different products within the Spycraft line and to promote the knowledge of Paradigm Concept's support line.
Hard Data: Publisher: Paradigm Concepts, Retail price $19.99, 64 pages.
The book is kinda slim, but it's not a lightweight. They pack a lot in this book. I didn't feel cheated out of my $20, but if they had squeezed an extra NPC or two that would just have been icing on the cake. There were some NPCs cut for space and are property of Paradigm Press, maybe some of them can be edited and released like a web enhancement, adding more to the book.
The only problems I had with the book (typical typos outstanding, I know they are in there but I overlook them automatically) were all aesthetic in nature. The cover is too dark of gray, but that was at AEG's request. When Paradigm releases more of their Spycraft line, they will all be in this color so that MW won't stand out. I wasn't a fan of the interior art (maybe I'm just really into Paul H. Way's style right now), but no one else complained so it's just my personal taste. I will give the book credit that on the inside it looks exactly like a Spycraft line book. The fonts, the format, even the famous quotes at each part. It won't look like it was 3rd party in your collection, which could be attributed to the writer, Alex Flagg, one of the prominent Spycraft like writers having done this book (with assistance from Mark Christensen and Kevin Ripka working on NPCs). This means we are in good hands.
Cross-References. Like many Spycraft books, instead of reprinting the same feat or prestige class several times over, this book references other products by what I call cross-referencing. This means an NPC might have levels in Goodfella, a prestige class and it directs you to Fixer/Pointman for more info about the class. Having all the books myself, I'd rather have NPC all at full strength, with all the options open to them that players have. If you don't have one of the Essential class guides (shame on you! They say Essential on them for a reason! :+)) there is a chart for what classes will be better suited. This might be a little work, but customizing the NPCs isn't such a bad idea.
The Terrorist. This guy is hardcore. He's mean, he's versatile, and he's awesome! He could be a sniper or a mad bomber. He's best when he has an audience to terrify, but you can find innocent bystanders anywhere (including in the end of the rules chapter). I thought the rules for weapons of mass destruction would be in this book, but they are in The Shop instead. This doesn't make the Terrorist less effective; it just means if you REALLY want to scare people (this goes for any villain not just the Terrorist), you might want to pick up the Shop (a Shadowforce Archer Threat book). If you had an agent really dedicated to his cause and not afraid of violence, this might not be a bad option. It's got a few useful Intimidate or inflict morale penalties on others abilities.
Feats. Includes Basic Combat, Covert, and Style feats. Not too many feats, but I wouldn't have left any of them out. The Basic Combat feats, like Merciless, deal with Coup de Grace actions. The Covert feats deal with cheap shots and morale attacks and would work well will less scrupulous agents. The Style feats are all about being a bad boy (and thus more useful to villains), they affect Notoriety (see next), being a Dictator, or having Total Devotion minions. Reign of Terror is fun, but I think it would get you in trouble with the law if not handled VERY carefully, unless you WANT people to know your face on the streets and be afraid.
Notoriety. I was worried about interaction with Reputation (which this actually pre-dates, but was released afterwards), but then I read it. Villains really can't squeeze a benefit from Reputation without putting way too much effort into it and even then it'd he hard for them to get their score up to effect people. This is where Notoriety comes in. It's like a Favor check with a Charisma bonus vs. a target's Will. You don't need a feat to access it (but some of the feats presented help), and you can cause Discomfort, Fear, Terror, a Surrender, or even Paralysis, and if you score a critical, the effects last until the end of the serial. How cool is that? Now agents can't walk all over villains like they are doormats, they can throw some villainous weight around.
Innocent Bystanders. Crowd control at it's finest, with checks to change disposition and deal with them. I'd think Counter-Terrorists would get a good read out of this too. Stampedes, cover from crowds, firing into a crowd of people, and human shields as well. Mostly this is for crowds though, not affecting 1 or 2 people, but like everyone at a particular site. Human Shields get a revisit, as we all know cowardly villains have been known to snatch someone out of the crowd for when they are being attacked by the heroes.
Organization Options. New Agendas like Reconstruction for when the agents have taken down most of a mastermind's ranks, Subversion to mess with agents, and Redemption to make more wrongs to amend for past wrongs are included. New Threat Resources too, like Deathtraps (if you don't want to get right into African Alliance's expanded rules this works nicely, and even can be used to introduce the AA rules), Government Affiliation, and toys from R&D Division and more.
The NPCs. Each one starts with a dossier-style write up with picture for the GC to photocopy for the players (permission is granted). It includes crimes, a brief history, activities, psychological profile, and appearance. Then there is a Control Briefing with info on how the guy works and what his plans are, like agendas, organization, minions, tactics, fatal flaws, and statistics at 3 levels. Then there's a standard 3-option hook for each NPC. This makes each NPC ring in at 3 pages. Very detailed for an NPC. There's also a note of which missions from Combat Missions will work best sing specific mission names. This will be more useful when Combat Missions is released shortly. Some of these would make good NPCs for players to use when selecting Backgrounds, like owing Osman Ivanovich Fyedorov, codename: GODFATHER a debt.
1. Bengal - Sort of a crusader against evil, but he kills many innocents in the process and doesn't realize how much damage he's doing. Wheelman/Hunter.
2. Black Dove - Anti-IRA Irish demo-man. He's trying to reunite Ireland, no matter what he has to blow up. Fixer/Saboteur.
3. Fenris - German soldier trying to rebuild the Red Army Faction. Uses Europeans to create an army to fight off the West. Soldier/Grunt.
4. Ferryman - A Cuban assassin, preferring the role of sniper. He is violently against Castro's government. Soldier.
5. Fortune and Glory - (Who doesn't like twins? :+)) Two American adrenaline junkies expanding their security business. Faceman/Bodyguard and Fixer/Triggerman.
6. Godfather - Former Soviet Union crime boss, building himself up the most powerful criminal empire in Central Asia. Pointman/Goodfella.
7. Hammer - A hardcore brawler out to prove himself from the Netherlands. Fights in underground rings and has no problems attacking agents. Soldier/Street Fighter.
8. Hax - Possibly American hacker with little known as she's always on the run. She's a curious explorer of the digital world, especially when money is involved. Snoop/Oracle.
9. Kali - As assassin from Thailand specializing in looking good, taunting, and finishing off her enemies without them knowing she was a threat. Faceman/Provocateur.
10. Kestrel - A Canadian with an axe to grind with the continued human intrusion of nature. Would stop deforestation by killing lumberjacks. Fixer/Ranger.
11. Medusa - American grifter trying to make a profit regardless of cost. Uses vast web of contacts to complete plans. Faceman/Networker.
12. Phoenix - A politician of sorts from Argentina, bent on destroying the democratic government established and install himself as a military dictator. Pointman/Politico.
13. Ronin - (1 part Sam Fisher, 2 parts Solid Snake) Seeks to destroy use of WMDs, even if they are in the 'right hands' of the Agency. Fixer/Snoop/Soldier.
14. Saladin - Leader of a fundamentalist religions terrorist group from Lybia seeking to stop the advancement f capitalism from poisoning the Arab culture. Pointman/Terrorist.
15. Victor the Black - A revolutionary from Hungary destabilizing European nations while publicly supporting the struggle of the common man. Fixer/Wheelman/Smuggler.
16. Virtuoso - A French artist obsessed with himself while indulging in acts of torture and other depravity. Faceman/Cleaner.
17. White Crane - An aging Burmese soldier working to keep locals governments off his back while running his cartel. Soldier/Tactician.
If you are a GC, get this book. If you aren't, your GC should get this book. Even if you don't use the Mastermind System, Agendas are useful and Threat Resources keep the game interesting. The rules will benefit more neutral/villainous characters, but that doesn't mean they are NPC only options, especially if you are playing a more devious agent. At least 1 person in the group should have this book, preferably the GC so he can use the NPCs, but the group in general can benefit from the rules.
Fish
I have decided to review this product to increase the awareness of different products within the Spycraft line and to promote the knowledge of Paradigm Concept's support line.
Hard Data: Publisher: Paradigm Concepts, Retail price $19.99, 64 pages.
The book is kinda slim, but it's not a lightweight. They pack a lot in this book. I didn't feel cheated out of my $20, but if they had squeezed an extra NPC or two that would just have been icing on the cake. There were some NPCs cut for space and are property of Paradigm Press, maybe some of them can be edited and released like a web enhancement, adding more to the book.
The only problems I had with the book (typical typos outstanding, I know they are in there but I overlook them automatically) were all aesthetic in nature. The cover is too dark of gray, but that was at AEG's request. When Paradigm releases more of their Spycraft line, they will all be in this color so that MW won't stand out. I wasn't a fan of the interior art (maybe I'm just really into Paul H. Way's style right now), but no one else complained so it's just my personal taste. I will give the book credit that on the inside it looks exactly like a Spycraft line book. The fonts, the format, even the famous quotes at each part. It won't look like it was 3rd party in your collection, which could be attributed to the writer, Alex Flagg, one of the prominent Spycraft like writers having done this book (with assistance from Mark Christensen and Kevin Ripka working on NPCs). This means we are in good hands.
Cross-References. Like many Spycraft books, instead of reprinting the same feat or prestige class several times over, this book references other products by what I call cross-referencing. This means an NPC might have levels in Goodfella, a prestige class and it directs you to Fixer/Pointman for more info about the class. Having all the books myself, I'd rather have NPC all at full strength, with all the options open to them that players have. If you don't have one of the Essential class guides (shame on you! They say Essential on them for a reason! :+)) there is a chart for what classes will be better suited. This might be a little work, but customizing the NPCs isn't such a bad idea.
The Terrorist. This guy is hardcore. He's mean, he's versatile, and he's awesome! He could be a sniper or a mad bomber. He's best when he has an audience to terrify, but you can find innocent bystanders anywhere (including in the end of the rules chapter). I thought the rules for weapons of mass destruction would be in this book, but they are in The Shop instead. This doesn't make the Terrorist less effective; it just means if you REALLY want to scare people (this goes for any villain not just the Terrorist), you might want to pick up the Shop (a Shadowforce Archer Threat book). If you had an agent really dedicated to his cause and not afraid of violence, this might not be a bad option. It's got a few useful Intimidate or inflict morale penalties on others abilities.
Feats. Includes Basic Combat, Covert, and Style feats. Not too many feats, but I wouldn't have left any of them out. The Basic Combat feats, like Merciless, deal with Coup de Grace actions. The Covert feats deal with cheap shots and morale attacks and would work well will less scrupulous agents. The Style feats are all about being a bad boy (and thus more useful to villains), they affect Notoriety (see next), being a Dictator, or having Total Devotion minions. Reign of Terror is fun, but I think it would get you in trouble with the law if not handled VERY carefully, unless you WANT people to know your face on the streets and be afraid.
Notoriety. I was worried about interaction with Reputation (which this actually pre-dates, but was released afterwards), but then I read it. Villains really can't squeeze a benefit from Reputation without putting way too much effort into it and even then it'd he hard for them to get their score up to effect people. This is where Notoriety comes in. It's like a Favor check with a Charisma bonus vs. a target's Will. You don't need a feat to access it (but some of the feats presented help), and you can cause Discomfort, Fear, Terror, a Surrender, or even Paralysis, and if you score a critical, the effects last until the end of the serial. How cool is that? Now agents can't walk all over villains like they are doormats, they can throw some villainous weight around.
Innocent Bystanders. Crowd control at it's finest, with checks to change disposition and deal with them. I'd think Counter-Terrorists would get a good read out of this too. Stampedes, cover from crowds, firing into a crowd of people, and human shields as well. Mostly this is for crowds though, not affecting 1 or 2 people, but like everyone at a particular site. Human Shields get a revisit, as we all know cowardly villains have been known to snatch someone out of the crowd for when they are being attacked by the heroes.
Organization Options. New Agendas like Reconstruction for when the agents have taken down most of a mastermind's ranks, Subversion to mess with agents, and Redemption to make more wrongs to amend for past wrongs are included. New Threat Resources too, like Deathtraps (if you don't want to get right into African Alliance's expanded rules this works nicely, and even can be used to introduce the AA rules), Government Affiliation, and toys from R&D Division and more.
The NPCs. Each one starts with a dossier-style write up with picture for the GC to photocopy for the players (permission is granted). It includes crimes, a brief history, activities, psychological profile, and appearance. Then there is a Control Briefing with info on how the guy works and what his plans are, like agendas, organization, minions, tactics, fatal flaws, and statistics at 3 levels. Then there's a standard 3-option hook for each NPC. This makes each NPC ring in at 3 pages. Very detailed for an NPC. There's also a note of which missions from Combat Missions will work best sing specific mission names. This will be more useful when Combat Missions is released shortly. Some of these would make good NPCs for players to use when selecting Backgrounds, like owing Osman Ivanovich Fyedorov, codename: GODFATHER a debt.
1. Bengal - Sort of a crusader against evil, but he kills many innocents in the process and doesn't realize how much damage he's doing. Wheelman/Hunter.
2. Black Dove - Anti-IRA Irish demo-man. He's trying to reunite Ireland, no matter what he has to blow up. Fixer/Saboteur.
3. Fenris - German soldier trying to rebuild the Red Army Faction. Uses Europeans to create an army to fight off the West. Soldier/Grunt.
4. Ferryman - A Cuban assassin, preferring the role of sniper. He is violently against Castro's government. Soldier.
5. Fortune and Glory - (Who doesn't like twins? :+)) Two American adrenaline junkies expanding their security business. Faceman/Bodyguard and Fixer/Triggerman.
6. Godfather - Former Soviet Union crime boss, building himself up the most powerful criminal empire in Central Asia. Pointman/Goodfella.
7. Hammer - A hardcore brawler out to prove himself from the Netherlands. Fights in underground rings and has no problems attacking agents. Soldier/Street Fighter.
8. Hax - Possibly American hacker with little known as she's always on the run. She's a curious explorer of the digital world, especially when money is involved. Snoop/Oracle.
9. Kali - As assassin from Thailand specializing in looking good, taunting, and finishing off her enemies without them knowing she was a threat. Faceman/Provocateur.
10. Kestrel - A Canadian with an axe to grind with the continued human intrusion of nature. Would stop deforestation by killing lumberjacks. Fixer/Ranger.
11. Medusa - American grifter trying to make a profit regardless of cost. Uses vast web of contacts to complete plans. Faceman/Networker.
12. Phoenix - A politician of sorts from Argentina, bent on destroying the democratic government established and install himself as a military dictator. Pointman/Politico.
13. Ronin - (1 part Sam Fisher, 2 parts Solid Snake) Seeks to destroy use of WMDs, even if they are in the 'right hands' of the Agency. Fixer/Snoop/Soldier.
14. Saladin - Leader of a fundamentalist religions terrorist group from Lybia seeking to stop the advancement f capitalism from poisoning the Arab culture. Pointman/Terrorist.
15. Victor the Black - A revolutionary from Hungary destabilizing European nations while publicly supporting the struggle of the common man. Fixer/Wheelman/Smuggler.
16. Virtuoso - A French artist obsessed with himself while indulging in acts of torture and other depravity. Faceman/Cleaner.
17. White Crane - An aging Burmese soldier working to keep locals governments off his back while running his cartel. Soldier/Tactician.
If you are a GC, get this book. If you aren't, your GC should get this book. Even if you don't use the Mastermind System, Agendas are useful and Threat Resources keep the game interesting. The rules will benefit more neutral/villainous characters, but that doesn't mean they are NPC only options, especially if you are playing a more devious agent. At least 1 person in the group should have this book, preferably the GC so he can use the NPCs, but the group in general can benefit from the rules.
Fish
