Dark Inheritance anyone?

[Psion]

I am about half way though a review of Spycraft: Dark Inheritance. I was noting that DI seldom gets discussed here and was given to wonder: is anyone out there playing Dark Inheritance (either version)? Anyone buy it but not find it meets their needs? Not buy it because something about it didn't appeal to you?

 

[Starman]

I've wanted to buy DI ever since I heard about it. Unfortunately, I am very broke. I'll probably put it on my Christmas list.

What are your initial thoughts on it, Psion?

Starman

 

[Psion]

Well, I like it better than the first one. I think I was put off by mechanical parts in the first one (the way they did legacies in the original turned me off... Spycraft DI makes a lot more credible effort to balance titan characters with regular characters.) I really dig some of the ideas of magic in spycraft better than d20 modern's "imported from D&D take", but the way they import spells let you have your cake and eat it too. Overall, I appreciate the depth of the setting over the likes of Urban Arcana (which sort of left me cold.)

 

[Starman]

Cool. Now I want it even more.

I totally agree with you about Urban Arcana. I think WotC could have done a much better setting and still had everything, including the kitchen sink. As it is, they just threw D&D into the modern world without putting any thought into it.

Starman

 

[Psion]

Right. The problem with UA is that they gave you a premise for characters, but not much of a premise for stories. The Spelljammer syndrome all over again...

 

[johnnype]

I was tempted to buy it the other day but from what I understand it requires Spycraft. Is that right? That, in and of itself, is not a deal breaker (I already own Spycraft) but the fact that Spycraft is getting a new edition a year from now is.

I don't usually complain about updates and new editions but when a game is as marginal (to me) as Spycraft is, it definitely loses some of its appeal. Before I pick up Dark Inheritance I'd like to know how much modification (if any) would be required this time next year when the new edition of Spycraft is out.

Other than that it does look interesting. I get the impression it's like a d20 version of the World of Darkness. Am I right?

 

[Starman]

That, in and of itself, is not a deal breaker (I already own Spycraft) but the fact that Spycraft is getting a new edition a year from now is.

I hadn't heard this. Do you have any relevant links with more info?

Starman

 

[MythicJustice]

I was tempted to buy it the other day but from what I understand it requires Spycraft. Is that right? That, in and of itself, is not a deal breaker (I already own Spycraft) but the fact that Spycraft is getting a new edition a year from now is.

I don't usually complain about updates and new editions but when a game is as marginal (to me) as Spycraft is, it definitely loses some of its appeal. Before I pick up Dark Inheritance I'd like to know how much modification (if any) would be required this time next year when the new edition of Spycraft is out.

The new edition of Spycraft (coming out around GenCon of next year from my understanding) will include all the information you will need to convert any differences in DI to Spycraft 2.0. We are also developing future DI support product with the Spycraft 2.0 in mind so it will not be a problem.

Other than that it does look interesting. I get the impression it's like a d20 version of the World of Darkness. Am I right?

DI often gets compared to WoD and while both are modern horror games the differences are many. In WoD the primary characters are the monsters, that is not the case in DI. WoD also centers on the theme of personal horror - often shortened to "angst." DI is not that type of horror. However, we worked hard to provide a number of options so groups could play the type of modern horror they enjoyed.

 

[Stormborn]

I picked up the original for super cheap at Dragon Con this summer and have looked it over. The ideas are interesting, but i had some of the same issues about titan characters that others have mentioned. My wife and I saw the Spycraft version the other day, she said "That cover makes me want to play, even without knowing anything about it." I do think it looks cool, and would love to hear a review, but am unlikely to ever actually play with it, mainly due to the nature of our group and the campaings.

 

[Psion]

I was tempted to buy it the other day but from what I understand it requires Spycraft. Is that right? That, in and of itself, is not a deal breaker (I already own Spycraft) but the fact that Spycraft is getting a new edition a year from now is.

I don't usually complain about updates and new editions but when a game is as marginal (to me) as Spycraft is, it definitely loses some of its appeal. Before I pick up Dark Inheritance I'd like to know how much modification (if any) would be required this time next year when the new edition of Spycraft is out.

Well, that you find it marginal is odd (to me), but I will say this much: The mechanics lead on DI is Scott Gearin. The mechanics lead for SC 2.0 is... Scott Gearin. What this says to me is that the directions SC 2.0 are headed will be largely reflected in this book. (For a parallel, consider how Savage Species contained many of the innovations of 3.5 before 3.5 was out.)

Other than that it does look interesting. I get the impression it's like a d20 version of the World of Darkness. Am I right?

In what way? It's a modern occult game, and the characters have lineages, but there I think the similarities end. Unlike WoD, your lineage and your alleigiance/affiliation are two different axes of defining your character. You could just as easily play a storm crow (a lineage, which defines your powers and perhaps character traits) that works for the Order of the Iron Rose as you could the International Geographic society.