“A hero does the right thing when it needs doing.”
A single statement summarizes much of the premise behind
Forbidden Kingdoms, a d20 pulp fiction campaign setting from Otherworld Creations. Written by Hyrum Savage and Dave Webb, this 300-page hardcover (which retails for $39.99) brings back memories of the old black and white Saturday pulp serials. Anyone over the age of forty should remember spending their youth watching (or even listening to) the likes of Flash Gordon, The Shadow, The Green Hornet, Phantom Stranger, Tarzan, and of course, the serial Western. Those of you who are a bit younger than forty will understand pulp better when I mention Doc Savage, Alan Quartermain, Remo Williams, and Indiana Jones. Forbidden Kingdoms is pure pulp, especially when you digest it all from cover to cover.
The book opens up with a short piece that personifies the pulp serial perfectly. “Lord Strange vs. The Voidmen” is classic pulp fiction that evokes memories of Buster Crabbe (as Flash Gordon) fighting evil. What follows is a brief explanation of the historical timeline of the FK setting that is essentially a slightly altered version of our own history. After that comes a well-written chapter detailing that history in a fictional work by a member of the Rough Riders (check your history books if you’re not familiar with them). One of the things that really struck me about this chapter (probably because I wrote this review on September 11th and have two small kids) was this particular section titled “A Minute in the Life of a Hero”. An excerpt of it follows:
As the windows began to crumble he knew his time was disappearing by the second. People were rushing past him trying to escape as he moved upward, floor by floor. The hallways were filling with the terrified screams of patients, staff, and visitors alike. The panic had begun to set in; Sly felt it deep within his body, just as he had when they were on San Juan Hill. Gritting his teeth, he forged onward, breaking free from the crowd. Fortune smiled on him as he found the oscillator hidden in the rafters, twelve feet up, on the uppermost floor. By now the windows had shattered and Sylvester had trouble staying on his feet. A deep rumbling had begun and he knew from what Reno had told him in the car that the earthquake effect was spreading outward. Taking out one of the pistols he slowly aimed and shot, missing the device by scant inches. The oscillator was perfectly placed so that the rafter protected it. He tried again to no avail. After the third shot he had to give up; the seismic waves were becoming too intense for him to keep his footing. Plaster began breaking apart and falling from the ceiling; pipes burst outward spraying water and gas everywhere. Sylvester didn’t dare risk another shot with the gas filling the air, so he did the only thing he could do—he left.
Reno’s voice kept filling his head as he descended the stairs.
“A hero does the right thing when it needs doing.”
He shook his head knowing he had done the right thing by trying to get the device, but now he wasn’t so sure he should leave. Somewhere below a fire had broken out and now the stairs had become a macabre obstacle course as he traveled down them. He was almost down when he heard the cry for help over the din of the roaring fire. He stopped and listened again, trying to discern where it was coming from. There it was again! Sylvester shot a glance to the stairs and prayed that they would hold him for a few moments longer as he turned around and made his way back up a flight. Kicking in the door he cautiously entered the hallway, keeping low as the smoke rose to the ceiling. He could hear the sobbing of a small child coming from a little further up the hallway, so he called out in the thick acrid cloak that was surrounding them. A voice in the darkness replied as a tiny girl in hospital robes came crawling through the smoke toward him. Her face was streaked with soot-stained tears and her clothes were charred from the proximity of the flames. Sylvester hoisted her into his arms and realized she weighed very little. He judged her, in the moment he had, to be four or five and very frightened of what was happening.
Sly smiled warmly and shielded her body with his as he made his way back down the stairwell, whispering the entire time a story his mother used to tell him when he was scared of the dark. The little girl clung to him in fear, whimpering every time he faltered a step. The quake was in full force by now and the building was falling to pieces around him in big, flaming chunks. He made it to the ground floor where he had started and noticed through the blasted doors, just outside the entranceway twenty or so odd feet away, that Reno and the others were herding the building’ s former occupants to a safe distance. He shouted out to his friend as a piece of enflamed structure crashed to the floor. The debris was large enough to block their escape, leaving only a minute opening that maybe a child could fit through. Calling out again in desperation to Reno his cry was rewarded as the rangy cowboy came running. Sly looked up and noticed it would be a matter of seconds before the roof gave in and they would both perish in fiery wreckage. As he knelt he took the little girl’s hand, smiling as he did so. He whispered in her ear and she looked back at him and nodded. Raising her up in his arms he turned to the door where he saw Reno. He locked eyes his with his long-time friend and mouthed the words “Heroes do what’s right—“ as the building exploded around him. Sylvester threw the girl between the debris and the opening. It was a perfect shot as her tiny body cut through the flame, arms outstretched in front of her as though she were flying. Reno caught her, spinning deftly to lessen the kinetic impact. The hospital imploded and Sly was enveloped in the blazing remains, the quake subsiding until all that was left was the sound of the popping fire. As he choked back the tears Reno gazed down upon the waif, who was still clutched to his breast, and asked what Sylvester had said to make he so brave. She peered meekly up at him, her bright blue eyes rimming with tears, as she softly replied, “He said I was an angel and he wanted to see me fly.”
Steampulp is a blend of technology and fantasy set during the turn of the century. Strange and wondrous devices exist but are quite rare. Such devices include the wireless communicator and the microwave oven. Steampulp figures prominently in this campaign world that opens a whole realm of imaginative opportunities.
There are eight character classes in FK: Academic, Clergy, Expert, Explorer, Idle Rich, Mystic, Scoundrel, and Soldier-of-Fortune. The Academic is your basic scientist that values knowledge above all else. Sherlock Holmes is a classic archetype for this class. The Clergy is a combination cleric and evangelist. The Expert excels in a single field such as a mechanic. The Explorer is your typical adventurer. Think Indiana Jones when you are looking for a classic example of this class. The Idle Rich class has more money than they know what to do with and a flair for trendiness. The Mystic is a combination monk and psionic warrior. They combine martial arts training with psionics. The Scoundrel is basically a rogue with a few more skills. Finally, the Soldier-of-Fortune is your stereotypical fighter of the group, ready for action.
FK divides hit points into stamina and wounds, which is a similar system to the wound/vitality point system used in other game systems. This is a bit more realistic system of tracking damage over the standard hit point system used in most d20 games. FK also introduces a concept called Hero Points, which is used to “represent a character’s inner potential for greatness.” Hero points may be used to stabilize a character when his wound points drop below zero or even used in combat to achieve a critical hit.
There are plenty of new feats and skills. The feats appear balanced and work well with the content of the book. My favorite skill is Construct Device (used by weird scientists to create technologically advanced items) and my favorite feat is Improvised Weapon (turn an ordinary item into a weapon). There is a fair amount of space devoted to rules on driving and combat resolution, which are easily understood.
There are eight prestige classes in FK. These are: Adventurer, Arcanologist, Chosen, Crimefighter, Diplomat, Spiritualist, Spy, and Weird Scientist. The Adventurer is a combination fighter/ranger with features from both classes. The Arcanologist is a combination of sorcerer and cleric, casting both arcane and divine spells. The Chosen is a type of cleric who performs miracles and turns undead. The Crimefighter is drawn straight from pulp fiction. The Shadow and The Green Hornet are perfect archetypes of this class. (I really liked it.) The Diplomat is a charismatic individual who can command others. The Spiritualist is a compassionate healer devoted to purity of mind and body. This is a class with shaman-like overtones. The Spy is essentially a prestige rogue with a license to kill. It’s also a very cool class. Finally, the Weird Scientist is your stereotypical “mad scientist” from Hollywood movies. He is a creator and inventor of all manner of strange devices.
Magic works a bit differently in FK. It is a time consuming process and lacks the flash of standard fantasy magic. No fireballs or flame strikes here, folks. Both arcane and divine spells are limited in selection and level with nothing higher than 5th level. Ritual magic is also covered very well. I’ve seen several different systems for ritual magic and this is one of the easier ones.
Weird Science gets its own chapter and covers all of the rules for creating weird items. Characters wishing to create a weird item must follow a four-step process. The final step is measured against a table to determine its success.
The chapter on firearms is very extensive and well written. If you’re looking to incorporate firearms into your campaign, this is a great book to use. The chapter on martial arts is equally well done and also a worth addition to a campaign.
Psionics is also covered in FK and does not require that you own the Psionics Handbook. The powers are outlined with thorough descriptions and a wide range of choices. It allows for a great deal of customization.
Wrapping up the book are chapters devoted to evil NPCs, monster templates, and monsters in general. The NPCs are a definite rogue’s gallery of bad guys (and girls) that will make excellent master villains for your campaign.
Overall, Forbidden Kingdoms is an excellent offering for anyone looking for a non-traditional alternative to hack and slash fantasy. Any fan of steampulp or the black and white serials of the 30’s and 40’s should enjoy this book. It also has great potential for use in multiple genres such as Call of Cthulhu and possibly the upcoming d20 Modern. There is a reason why the book received an ENnie nomination for Best d20 Game. It’s that good. The book as a whole is well written with easy to understand and use rules, balanced mechanics, and a flavor that is true to its purpose. Personally, I can’t wait for the supporting material to start being produced, such as adventures. Forbidden Kingdoms is a hit in my book and comes recommended to anyone who wants something different in their campaign.
To see the graded evaluation of this product, go to The Critic's Corner at www.d20zines.com.
