Rotted Capes: The Superhero Zombie RPG just announced!

[PCIHenry]

I played it this afternoon and it was just okay. It uses a variation of the Arcanis rules which I think is a bit more complex then the game seems to need. The game didn't seem to do anything special that would make me want to use it verse just using one of the many other supers games already out and putting zombies in it.

Sorry you didn't enjoy your time playing Rotted capes, Crothian. While it does use a streamlined variation of the Arcanis rule set, it does have some other bells and whistles that don't appear in the Arcanis: RPG and were tailor made to Rotted capes, such as Plot Points for one.

(Luckily for us) you seem to have been the exception to the rule as we had a large number of people (non-Arcaniacs as well as our hard core fans) come up and asked to purchase the game. If I had copies available at Origins, it would have made a successful Con (sales-wise) a stellar one.

In any case, to each their own. I hope others going to Gen Con will at least try it and see if they have a different experience.

Best,

 

[sidonunspa]

Crothian, unfortunately the table you sat at just didn't gel, and for that I deeply apologize (Three players of the five players had already hit the bar and this were in a silly mood, which is why I offered to call the game 2 hr in) I wish you would have come up to me, I would have made sure to put you in my next slot (which ran 1 hour over...) and was a much more serious table.

Renau1g; As a fellow fan of the Ex-Heroes line I know where you are coming from.

We have some interesting twists (for example HOW super zombies act as well as the existence of Abominations) which add some more “bite” to zombie threats.

As for the system:

Yes, the system is a simplified version of the award winning Arcanis system, designed to run much more cinematically then tactically.

The system also incorporates some shared story telling system which encourage players to shape the story and world around them, some times to their own detriment.

for example I had one group give themselves a flat tire at the most inopportune time, another say that they forgot to check a back service elevator which was full with zombies.

 

[CBlome]

I had a chance to play one of the Intro session and watch most of the module they offered. Overall I think the game has a lot of potential. The game does 3 things very well:

1) It emphasizes teamwork. While your character may be a 'Lone Wolf' if he wants to take down the super powered zombies, he's going to need help. Regular zombies are easy to kill. It's when you move on to the above-average where not only is it nice to take along a partner, its down-right required.

2) It allows PC creativity to influence the game. Plot points are fun. I got to use one to influence a contractor 10 years before are heroes entered a building. As always GM fiat rules the day, but a built in system where PCs can influence the world at fairly basic levels in (and against!) their favor is very cool.

3) The game manages to make the Players seem more in control while actually leaving that control firmly in the GMs hands. Again, the Plot Points are king here. Every time a PC spends one, the GM gets one to use against them the next scene. As our GM said, luck swings both ways, depend on the good to much and things will come back to haunt you.

These are just my basic first impressions. In full disclosure I'm a fairly big fan of most of what Paradigm Concepts has done, and that may be shading my view a bit, but in the end I had fun (more fun than I've had in a supers RPG). Isn't that always the goal?

As a side note, Paradigm Concepts has developed an interesting and sometimes complex system in the Arcanis RPG which this system is based off of. Some people may love or hate it. But, what they are absolutely know for is STORY. When the clouds clear on this zombie apocalypse, I expect what we see will be as glorious as it is horrifying to our PCs.

 

[Black Jack Rackham]

I also thought Rotted Capes has a lot of potential. With one '4-Color City' and the rest of the world left to your imagination, it seems open for interpretation (Is the zombie-pocalypse just in certain areas, has it covered the world, are there safe zones, etc.) you can cut-n-paste your own world without worry about the dreaded "non-cannon" adventures.

I also liked the progression idea. The PCs aren't the superheroes of the world, they're the sidekicks (I know, I know, don't call them sidekicks). But given zombie attack, they've been thrust into the spotlight before they're really ready.

The system (albeit with my limited experience of it) is easy to pick up and seems to play fast. If I had a concern it would be that in this game, things probably should play out a bit more lethal than they seemed when we played (lot of fighting, most of the baddies were knocked out rather than killed, and, while I understand that's the stuff of comics, I think there needs to be a more lethal option for those wanting a more gritty supers game*.)

I also really liked the (sorry can't remember the exact name for this) Flaw. A kind of one-word description of the personality of the hero. It reminds me a lot of 7th Sea's Arcana and serves the same function.

Like CBlome said, it does emphasize teamwork. The weakest of zombies are the only ones heroes can deal with one on one (but of course, there's never just one).

Anyway, just my 2.4579387539 cents worth.

Mark

*I should say, RC may well have this, I just didn't see it when I played.

 

[sidonunspa]

*I should say, RC may well have this, I just didn't see it when I played.

It will, as well as rules for playing Alpha level heroes if you wish.

The death comes into play with even the basic rules you played with, a player at one of my tables almost died, and had been infected... (knowing that heroes fortitude defense.. she was as good as dead.)

If it was a home game, it would have made for an interesting story

 

[Black Jack Rackham]

The death comes into play with even the basic rules you played with, a player at one of my tables almost died, and had been infected... (knowing that heroes fortitude defense.. she was as good as dead.)

So that leads me to the obvious question, can you play the game from the other direction? Heroes who've already been infected (but who mantain their faculties) trying to stop the uninfected heroes from interfering with their (now) primary food source?

In other words, are their rules for infected heroes?

Mark

 

[PCIHenry]

Hello Mark,

In other words, are their rules for infected heroes?

No - at least not in the Core Book. Depending how well received the game is, we may consider designing rules to cover that sort of play in a subsequent book.

Best,

 

[PCIHenry]

Hello everyone,

The Rotted Capes Kick Starter just went LIVE!

Here's the LINK: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...ero-zombie-rpg

Enjoy!!

Best,

 

[fireinthedust]

Is there a free rpg day download of how the rules work? Like how Savage Worlds has one.

 

[PCIHenry]

Hello,

Is there a free rpg day download of how the rules work? Like how Savage Worlds has one.

The free RPG Day download we have available is for our Origins Award Winning RPG, Arcanis World of the Shattered Empires (Best RPG of 2011).

We don't have one for Rotted Capes yet.

While the system used in Rotted Capes is a derivative of the system that powers Arcanis - it's changed enough that reading one would only give you a vague idea of how the other works. I'm a firm believer in making sure that the rules fit the genre/setting we're creating and don't buy into the 'one size fits all' theory for gaming.

Best,