Messageboard Golem
First Post
A Sourcebook detailing a new wrinkle to your game. Chaositech: Not magic, not machine, but something entirely independent of the two.
Chaositech
- Thread starter Messageboard Golem
- Start date
GameWyrd
Explorer
This is the first review I’ve written in nearly, gosh, nearly a month. So, what happened and what actually does it have to do with Chaositech? I read Chaositech one night and have been ill ever since. In fact, even as I type there’s an unholy amount of slime coming from somewhere. Will it never end? There’s the truth; Chaositech is dangerous stuff!
It’s dangerous in-game as the effects it has on those who use it are startling. It’s also dangerous out-of-game, not because reviewers get ill after reading it, but because it could unbalance your entire game. This isn’t a supplement I’d recommend to a novice. This isn’t a supplement I’d bring to a game where there’s one (or more) annoying player who tends to get what he wants, all those extra powers, by lording over the rest of the game. Chaositech, I fear, is the sort of supplement that’ll run afoul of gaming problems like that. It is the sort of gaming supplement that can add some spice to a tiring campaign world from a most unexpected angle.
Chaositech isn’t an Arcana Unearthed (necessarily) supplement. This has produced some debate in channels I listen to. Some people had noticed that all the best offerings from Malhavoc had gone the way of Arcana Unearthed. There’s no questioning that this isn’t the case in Chaositech as it’s certainly one of the best offerings from Malhavoc in 2003. On the other hand, Chaositech /will/ shake up your campaign world tremendously so. I’ve heard some people mutter that this seismic shaking was what stopped this particular offering from being included in Arcana Unearthed. Why build such a carefully detailed and balance game and then unleash Chaositech on it? I’ll let people have their theories. I don’t really care what Chaositech’s relationship is with other Malhavoc Products. This supplement could easily have been another Event Book (when alien technology is discovered!) (doesn’t that sound like a cable TV show?) … and it still would have worked. The point is the supplement does what it promises it’ll do.
Chaostech, sorry, Chaositech, is about horrible and powerful semi-biological, just not magical technology, which can be used by characters and villains. It uses characters and villains in return. GMs can and should have fun with the back story as to why there is chaositech in the world, where it comes from and what the implications are. I don’t really care to mull over some of the ideas in the supplement itself because they’re good enough to be protected by a spoiler free review.
There are two types of chaositech items. The simple, less dangerous, less powerful devices are more mundane in nature. They might actually look like glass or steel and might even be held in the hand or worn. The more complex devices, the most powerful, the most dangerous are entirely alien. It wouldn’t be unusual to have a complex device which wraps around you, in you, through you, which activates with a thought and which might do something unexpected such as emit a knockout gas or suck the life from mutants.
Ah yes. Mutants. That’s the risk (reward?) of using chaositech. Sooner or later the alien devices will corrupt body, mind and if you care to be dramatic the soul as well. That should be the cost. Watch for players trying to get all the pros without the cons – see comments above about finding a suitable game, suitable gamers to use this with and have patience for a proselytising and ill reviewer. Your body will warp and your mind will twist. Even better – at least from the plot point of view – the chaositech devices will have more control of you and you won’t (can’t) really be sure what they want to do. I like the idea of mutants in a fantasy game. I much prefer dark and sinister fantasy to the high fantasy heroics that feature heavily in most D&D games. Who needs sanity anyway? Mutants are great because they go equally well into both types of fantasy and they’ll go in most other fantasy genres too. Heck. Chaositech as a D20 Modern promise to it too.
The prospect of scary mutant cults has not been overlooked by the supplement. Oh no. The PDF moves into first gear as it opens with a quick run down of a few sample cults. There’s a wealth of ideas here. It’s also an early indication that Monte Cook, author, was determined not just to write a splatbook - even if was always going to be a splatbook with a difference. The balance of crunch and gamemeal is just about right.
Chaositech reminds us at every opportunity that we’re not dealing with magical devices. We’re dealing with something entirely different. Good. Excellent even; a chance to introduce the magic-like into a low magic setting and a chance to add a counter weight to the dominance of extreme magic in a high fantasy setting. There are new spells in the supplement though. The "Detect Mutant" spell is annoying. It’s typical of D&D supplements and is right up there with "Detect Evil" as a drama spoiling, tension wrecking, mystery mashing mechanical villain. The DM really is limited on how far he can take the "anyone of the courtiers could be in the mutant cult…" tension if one of the players has "Detect Mutant". Mind you the players could equally well have "Detect Chaos" and that’s a likely giveaway too. It’s just because the "Detect" spells are so annoyingly D&D that Monte Cook would have been wrong not to include the blighted spell (and the other similar ones in the supplement). The rule system and the cosmology it supports expects a "Detect Mutant" spell, DMs should have access to it if they want it and can ignore it at their leisure.
The bulk of the PDF is given over to sample chaositech items. Oh, the good news is that there are easy rules for creating your own items and letting your player characters create these items in game. That is if you want to let your characters have access to this sort of, er, chaositechnology. It might just be that only alien gods, strange demons or dark oracle can create new chaositech, if it can be created at all. The "easy" rules are easy to follow. It’s not easy to create these items. We get going at about page 19 and begin with the simple chaositech first and conclude at about 67 with the last of the complex stuff. It’s a free fall into mutation at this point. Once again the mutation rules are simple to follow and yet not so shallow that they feel empty. We don’t quite have "Realms of Chaos" style d1000 lists for mutations here but I’m more than content with a detailed d100 list.
I think new classes and new prestige classes are a given for any d20 supplement and we can certainly expect them from the master classman Monte Cook. Even if you’re fed up to your back teeth with yet another collection of prestige classes these chaositech portfolios are worth checking out. These classes are worth checking out simply because they are focused on the new chaositech – and I doubt you’ve many of those at your disposal – and because each one has the Monte Cook polish.
Okay. So it’s well into 2004 now – but I read Chaositech in 2003 and it was a welcome end to the year. It seemed to sit well with what had gone before (it could be dropped into almost any d20 game) and it spoke volumes of what we might expect in 2004 (something jazzy and new for the campaign) from roleplaying supplements.
* This Chaositech review was first published at GameWyrd.
It’s dangerous in-game as the effects it has on those who use it are startling. It’s also dangerous out-of-game, not because reviewers get ill after reading it, but because it could unbalance your entire game. This isn’t a supplement I’d recommend to a novice. This isn’t a supplement I’d bring to a game where there’s one (or more) annoying player who tends to get what he wants, all those extra powers, by lording over the rest of the game. Chaositech, I fear, is the sort of supplement that’ll run afoul of gaming problems like that. It is the sort of gaming supplement that can add some spice to a tiring campaign world from a most unexpected angle.
Chaositech isn’t an Arcana Unearthed (necessarily) supplement. This has produced some debate in channels I listen to. Some people had noticed that all the best offerings from Malhavoc had gone the way of Arcana Unearthed. There’s no questioning that this isn’t the case in Chaositech as it’s certainly one of the best offerings from Malhavoc in 2003. On the other hand, Chaositech /will/ shake up your campaign world tremendously so. I’ve heard some people mutter that this seismic shaking was what stopped this particular offering from being included in Arcana Unearthed. Why build such a carefully detailed and balance game and then unleash Chaositech on it? I’ll let people have their theories. I don’t really care what Chaositech’s relationship is with other Malhavoc Products. This supplement could easily have been another Event Book (when alien technology is discovered!) (doesn’t that sound like a cable TV show?) … and it still would have worked. The point is the supplement does what it promises it’ll do.
Chaostech, sorry, Chaositech, is about horrible and powerful semi-biological, just not magical technology, which can be used by characters and villains. It uses characters and villains in return. GMs can and should have fun with the back story as to why there is chaositech in the world, where it comes from and what the implications are. I don’t really care to mull over some of the ideas in the supplement itself because they’re good enough to be protected by a spoiler free review.
There are two types of chaositech items. The simple, less dangerous, less powerful devices are more mundane in nature. They might actually look like glass or steel and might even be held in the hand or worn. The more complex devices, the most powerful, the most dangerous are entirely alien. It wouldn’t be unusual to have a complex device which wraps around you, in you, through you, which activates with a thought and which might do something unexpected such as emit a knockout gas or suck the life from mutants.
Ah yes. Mutants. That’s the risk (reward?) of using chaositech. Sooner or later the alien devices will corrupt body, mind and if you care to be dramatic the soul as well. That should be the cost. Watch for players trying to get all the pros without the cons – see comments above about finding a suitable game, suitable gamers to use this with and have patience for a proselytising and ill reviewer. Your body will warp and your mind will twist. Even better – at least from the plot point of view – the chaositech devices will have more control of you and you won’t (can’t) really be sure what they want to do. I like the idea of mutants in a fantasy game. I much prefer dark and sinister fantasy to the high fantasy heroics that feature heavily in most D&D games. Who needs sanity anyway? Mutants are great because they go equally well into both types of fantasy and they’ll go in most other fantasy genres too. Heck. Chaositech as a D20 Modern promise to it too.
The prospect of scary mutant cults has not been overlooked by the supplement. Oh no. The PDF moves into first gear as it opens with a quick run down of a few sample cults. There’s a wealth of ideas here. It’s also an early indication that Monte Cook, author, was determined not just to write a splatbook - even if was always going to be a splatbook with a difference. The balance of crunch and gamemeal is just about right.
Chaositech reminds us at every opportunity that we’re not dealing with magical devices. We’re dealing with something entirely different. Good. Excellent even; a chance to introduce the magic-like into a low magic setting and a chance to add a counter weight to the dominance of extreme magic in a high fantasy setting. There are new spells in the supplement though. The "Detect Mutant" spell is annoying. It’s typical of D&D supplements and is right up there with "Detect Evil" as a drama spoiling, tension wrecking, mystery mashing mechanical villain. The DM really is limited on how far he can take the "anyone of the courtiers could be in the mutant cult…" tension if one of the players has "Detect Mutant". Mind you the players could equally well have "Detect Chaos" and that’s a likely giveaway too. It’s just because the "Detect" spells are so annoyingly D&D that Monte Cook would have been wrong not to include the blighted spell (and the other similar ones in the supplement). The rule system and the cosmology it supports expects a "Detect Mutant" spell, DMs should have access to it if they want it and can ignore it at their leisure.
The bulk of the PDF is given over to sample chaositech items. Oh, the good news is that there are easy rules for creating your own items and letting your player characters create these items in game. That is if you want to let your characters have access to this sort of, er, chaositechnology. It might just be that only alien gods, strange demons or dark oracle can create new chaositech, if it can be created at all. The "easy" rules are easy to follow. It’s not easy to create these items. We get going at about page 19 and begin with the simple chaositech first and conclude at about 67 with the last of the complex stuff. It’s a free fall into mutation at this point. Once again the mutation rules are simple to follow and yet not so shallow that they feel empty. We don’t quite have "Realms of Chaos" style d1000 lists for mutations here but I’m more than content with a detailed d100 list.
I think new classes and new prestige classes are a given for any d20 supplement and we can certainly expect them from the master classman Monte Cook. Even if you’re fed up to your back teeth with yet another collection of prestige classes these chaositech portfolios are worth checking out. These classes are worth checking out simply because they are focused on the new chaositech – and I doubt you’ve many of those at your disposal – and because each one has the Monte Cook polish.
Okay. So it’s well into 2004 now – but I read Chaositech in 2003 and it was a welcome end to the year. It seemed to sit well with what had gone before (it could be dropped into almost any d20 game) and it spoke volumes of what we might expect in 2004 (something jazzy and new for the campaign) from roleplaying supplements.
* This Chaositech review was first published at GameWyrd.
Keeper of Secrets
First Post
Perhaps one of the most remarkable and clever products for the d20 system that I have seen recently is Monte Cook’s Chaositech, published by Sword & Sorcery. It is 112 pages of creepy goodness that GMs will no doubt find fascinating at the very least. That being said, GMs should also be very careful about how they would want to introduce this into a campaign. Chaositech is definitely not for the weak of heart and definitely not for GMs who are uncertain they could handle the serious ramifications that Chaositech brings. Interested? Let me go on.
Ultimately, Chaositech is a product that describes how the dangerous and horrible forces of chaos can be harnessed into weapons, items and body modifications. Clearly inspired by Warhammer Fantasy, the film Hellraiser, and the works of Lovecraft, Moorcock, and H.R. Geiger, Chaositech promises (and delivers!) that it will change the face of the campaign. This is why my warning should be heeded. The unusual contraptions and modifications to the body are the result of weeks of research and ‘surgery.’ This results in weird swords created from flesh, axes that do extra damage but are tethered to the brain, extra spinal columns that can be grafted into the body, resulting in a more powerful character, etc. The down side (and of course there is a down side) is that the raw forces of chaos that the surgeon and the patient deal with eventually drive them mad, but usually not before horrible and debilitating mutations take form. As such, the technology becomes somewhat ‘self-policing’ in game terms. Assuming that the GM introduces this into his campaign (something that warrants careful consideration), the GM needs to think about the ramifications in the long run, especially gauging how their players will react. The GM should be sure that their players are not only mature enough to handle what Chaositech has to offer but also make sure this is right for them so it won’t take over the campaign. It is said that evil is seductive and attractive. Chaositech is certainly seductive, but attractive is a different matter.
There are 6 chapters in the book, first covering theories on chaos, chaos items (swords, armor, etc.), chaos grafts (body modifications that require surgery and a patient), mutations from exposure to deranged items and modifications, the servants of chaos and finally a chapter dedicated to the chaos ‘gods’ (entities that are mysterious yet destructive with a heavy inspiration from the Lovecraftian Outer Gods).
For these reasons, Chaositech is a wonderfully exciting product. By flipping through the book the reader may think this is a power-gamer’s Holy Grail but upon a closer examination it will become apparent that these items are not only difficult to craft but they take a serious toll in the long run on PC sanity and health. The difficulty of creating these items combined with the dangerous ramifications they bring, make it unlikely that PCs will want much exposure to them. In fact, it is more likely that a GM will use the grisly and grotesque ideas from this book as plot devices, ways to create interesting and unique villains or as a dangerous force that is threatening the well-being of the world.
Monte Cook describes the origins of the chaos technology as the design of the Galchutt (dangerous entities that are not quite gods but are far more than mere mortals). The background is simple enough that a GM can easily integrate this into just about any campaign system, merely replacing the Galchutt with any chaotic (and deranged) deity or claiming that it is some kind alien technology such as something crafted by a race like the illithid. That being said, Monte Cook does take a somewhat casual approach when he suggests that integrating this material would not be very difficult. To the contrary, I believe that in order to do this material justice it so well deserves, the GM needs to introduce these concepts at the start of the campaign or to slowly introduce it. A good way might be to provide reports of once forgotten cults that are now returning with this technology. Perhaps the PCs can discover lost tomes and ancient codices that speak of blasphemous and dark secrets of this chaos technology.
Perhaps one of the things I enjoyed the most was the section that detailed a number of chaos-aligned cults. I was instantly reminded of the chaos gods in the Warhammer world and the maniacs that comprise them. There are 7 cults that get attention, each of them having a different approach in the way that they view society and chaos technology. These would make great villains for an extended campaign, instantly giving recurring adversaries with a theme. Further, there are some new chaos-related spells that are not too many in number but are certainly worth a look. A vast majority of the spells are tied with the various chaos cults but any GM who is looking for some devious bad guys should certainly give this section a deeper look.
The types of items that can be created and found are divided up into two classifications: intrinsic and non-intrinsic. The intrinsic items can be found in the Betrayal of Flesh chapter. These are the weird and unholy experiments that require complex surgery and can add body parts, replace limbs, lace bones with iron, etc. The non-intrinsic items are found in the chapter Bones of Steel and are items that do not require much other than experimenting with the objects. Honestly, the non-intrinsic items would be the more likely of two to introduce into a campaign if the GM is looking for a clean and easy way to do it. Both intrinsic and non-intrinsic items give the same benefits as magic items but as Cook frequently reminds us, these are anything but magic items.
Whereas some of the items and grafts seem somewhat unusual and a few even seem silly, for the most part they are clever and brilliant, working well within the context of the Dungeons & Dragons system. Since there are enough ‘stops’ to prevent characters from overusing these items I really see them as well balanced items. From my view I can’t see much of anything that’s broken or problematic, unless you consider the whole concept broken and suspect. But since I don’t, I offer it high marks for the numbers and balance.
Chapter 5, The Slaves of Chaos, gives the reader some interesting extras in the form of prestige classes, templates for Chaosomaton (those who have been touched too long by the powers of chaos) as well as the horrific surgically enhanced creatures. Honestly, I loved the prestige classes. They don’t seem very useful outside the realm of the Chaositech materials but they are perfect for the setting. The two prestige classes are the Chaositechnician and the Machine Mage, both of which beautifully combine the chaos technology with magic and skill. Both would make for exceptionally detailed and unique NPCs (whether they are a villain, an eerie ally or something in between). Most importantly, the fact that Monte Cook designed them is an added bonus as I feel confident in saying that he may be the modern master of the prestige class, making sure that they are balanced, work well and provide a memorable place in the Dungeons & Dragons pantheon.
Further, Chapter 5 gives the reader a good background on those who have been touched by chaos and the chaositechnicians: the horrific creatures and minions. These are great additions for a GM who would like to design a dungeon with monsters and adversaries that could confuse and spook the PCs. One of the things that most appealed to me about this chapter was the Aberration Template. This template, in game terms, allows a GM to fuse two creatures together, created by a chaositechnician. The rules are straightforward and instead of just telling a GM that it can happen, it provides a strict formula for an NPC (or even PC) to create these creatures.
Overall, I can’t speak highly enough of this product. The potential it has for excitement and interest in a campaign is phenomenal. Of course, like the chaositechnology, itself, it can be dangerous for the characters in the campaign as well as the GM who runs it if it is allowed to get out of hand, perverting and distorting the campaign as much as it perverts and distorts the characters who attempt to experiment with the technology. If the GM keeps a close eye on what is being introduced and how it is introduced, this product can add so much spice and story to a campaign. Just be careful.
Since this is one of the coolest products I have come across in quite some time I offer it a 4.5 out of 5. Enjoy. But remember that I warned you.
Ultimately, Chaositech is a product that describes how the dangerous and horrible forces of chaos can be harnessed into weapons, items and body modifications. Clearly inspired by Warhammer Fantasy, the film Hellraiser, and the works of Lovecraft, Moorcock, and H.R. Geiger, Chaositech promises (and delivers!) that it will change the face of the campaign. This is why my warning should be heeded. The unusual contraptions and modifications to the body are the result of weeks of research and ‘surgery.’ This results in weird swords created from flesh, axes that do extra damage but are tethered to the brain, extra spinal columns that can be grafted into the body, resulting in a more powerful character, etc. The down side (and of course there is a down side) is that the raw forces of chaos that the surgeon and the patient deal with eventually drive them mad, but usually not before horrible and debilitating mutations take form. As such, the technology becomes somewhat ‘self-policing’ in game terms. Assuming that the GM introduces this into his campaign (something that warrants careful consideration), the GM needs to think about the ramifications in the long run, especially gauging how their players will react. The GM should be sure that their players are not only mature enough to handle what Chaositech has to offer but also make sure this is right for them so it won’t take over the campaign. It is said that evil is seductive and attractive. Chaositech is certainly seductive, but attractive is a different matter.
There are 6 chapters in the book, first covering theories on chaos, chaos items (swords, armor, etc.), chaos grafts (body modifications that require surgery and a patient), mutations from exposure to deranged items and modifications, the servants of chaos and finally a chapter dedicated to the chaos ‘gods’ (entities that are mysterious yet destructive with a heavy inspiration from the Lovecraftian Outer Gods).
For these reasons, Chaositech is a wonderfully exciting product. By flipping through the book the reader may think this is a power-gamer’s Holy Grail but upon a closer examination it will become apparent that these items are not only difficult to craft but they take a serious toll in the long run on PC sanity and health. The difficulty of creating these items combined with the dangerous ramifications they bring, make it unlikely that PCs will want much exposure to them. In fact, it is more likely that a GM will use the grisly and grotesque ideas from this book as plot devices, ways to create interesting and unique villains or as a dangerous force that is threatening the well-being of the world.
Monte Cook describes the origins of the chaos technology as the design of the Galchutt (dangerous entities that are not quite gods but are far more than mere mortals). The background is simple enough that a GM can easily integrate this into just about any campaign system, merely replacing the Galchutt with any chaotic (and deranged) deity or claiming that it is some kind alien technology such as something crafted by a race like the illithid. That being said, Monte Cook does take a somewhat casual approach when he suggests that integrating this material would not be very difficult. To the contrary, I believe that in order to do this material justice it so well deserves, the GM needs to introduce these concepts at the start of the campaign or to slowly introduce it. A good way might be to provide reports of once forgotten cults that are now returning with this technology. Perhaps the PCs can discover lost tomes and ancient codices that speak of blasphemous and dark secrets of this chaos technology.
Perhaps one of the things I enjoyed the most was the section that detailed a number of chaos-aligned cults. I was instantly reminded of the chaos gods in the Warhammer world and the maniacs that comprise them. There are 7 cults that get attention, each of them having a different approach in the way that they view society and chaos technology. These would make great villains for an extended campaign, instantly giving recurring adversaries with a theme. Further, there are some new chaos-related spells that are not too many in number but are certainly worth a look. A vast majority of the spells are tied with the various chaos cults but any GM who is looking for some devious bad guys should certainly give this section a deeper look.
The types of items that can be created and found are divided up into two classifications: intrinsic and non-intrinsic. The intrinsic items can be found in the Betrayal of Flesh chapter. These are the weird and unholy experiments that require complex surgery and can add body parts, replace limbs, lace bones with iron, etc. The non-intrinsic items are found in the chapter Bones of Steel and are items that do not require much other than experimenting with the objects. Honestly, the non-intrinsic items would be the more likely of two to introduce into a campaign if the GM is looking for a clean and easy way to do it. Both intrinsic and non-intrinsic items give the same benefits as magic items but as Cook frequently reminds us, these are anything but magic items.
Whereas some of the items and grafts seem somewhat unusual and a few even seem silly, for the most part they are clever and brilliant, working well within the context of the Dungeons & Dragons system. Since there are enough ‘stops’ to prevent characters from overusing these items I really see them as well balanced items. From my view I can’t see much of anything that’s broken or problematic, unless you consider the whole concept broken and suspect. But since I don’t, I offer it high marks for the numbers and balance.
Chapter 5, The Slaves of Chaos, gives the reader some interesting extras in the form of prestige classes, templates for Chaosomaton (those who have been touched too long by the powers of chaos) as well as the horrific surgically enhanced creatures. Honestly, I loved the prestige classes. They don’t seem very useful outside the realm of the Chaositech materials but they are perfect for the setting. The two prestige classes are the Chaositechnician and the Machine Mage, both of which beautifully combine the chaos technology with magic and skill. Both would make for exceptionally detailed and unique NPCs (whether they are a villain, an eerie ally or something in between). Most importantly, the fact that Monte Cook designed them is an added bonus as I feel confident in saying that he may be the modern master of the prestige class, making sure that they are balanced, work well and provide a memorable place in the Dungeons & Dragons pantheon.
Further, Chapter 5 gives the reader a good background on those who have been touched by chaos and the chaositechnicians: the horrific creatures and minions. These are great additions for a GM who would like to design a dungeon with monsters and adversaries that could confuse and spook the PCs. One of the things that most appealed to me about this chapter was the Aberration Template. This template, in game terms, allows a GM to fuse two creatures together, created by a chaositechnician. The rules are straightforward and instead of just telling a GM that it can happen, it provides a strict formula for an NPC (or even PC) to create these creatures.
Overall, I can’t speak highly enough of this product. The potential it has for excitement and interest in a campaign is phenomenal. Of course, like the chaositechnology, itself, it can be dangerous for the characters in the campaign as well as the GM who runs it if it is allowed to get out of hand, perverting and distorting the campaign as much as it perverts and distorts the characters who attempt to experiment with the technology. If the GM keeps a close eye on what is being introduced and how it is introduced, this product can add so much spice and story to a campaign. Just be careful.
Since this is one of the coolest products I have come across in quite some time I offer it a 4.5 out of 5. Enjoy. But remember that I warned you.
Similar Threads
