[RPG]: Dread, reviewed by Crothian (4/5)

[RPGnet Reviews]

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/13/13887.phtml

Chris Gath's Summary:

Dread is a game with a gimmick. A gimmick that works very well.

Go to the full review (http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/13/13887.phtml) for more information.

[Maxwell Luther]

It seems very interesting as a more 'party game' type RPG that non-gamers can get into. I can already see some possiblities for the Jenga mechanic and I haven't even read the book.

One in particular is forcing the players to decide how much time they want to spend doing something. Say one of the characters is a Professor and he needs to research a way to banish an eldritch horror as said horror gets closer and closer to its goals. Every pull he makes represents an hour of research time and gives him a 'pip' towards defeating it, but it also risks bringing the tower down which means he dug too deep for too long and the amount of forbidden knowledge made him insane. After that, all he can do is babble incoherently and the other players will have to try and discern from his mad ramblings what to do.

While he is researching, the other players could be pulling as well to delay the horror as best they can, possibly causing one of their characters death at the price of giving him time to finish his research. I can even see a player sacrificing himself in a heroic action (say by charging the horror with a bomb to force it to reform) by intentionally pulling the wrong block to force the tower to fall on himself. The possibilities are intriguing...

[committed hero]

How often do actions have a chance of failure (in other words, requiring a pull)? Are there skills/attributes that govern competence in different situations?

[jenskot]

How often do actions have a chance of failure (in other words, requiring a pull)? Are there skills/attributes that govern competence in different situations?
I don't remember the rules exactly but your answers to your questionnaire help determine competence in different situations which affects what requires a pull and how many times.

[Crothian]

How often do actions have a chance of failure (in other words, requiring a pull)? Are there skills/attributes that govern competence in different situations?

As often as the guy or gal running the game likes. There are no skills or attributes in the game. Pulls build tension and add to the game though too many or too few can be a problem. The game suggestions having a good number at the beginning. This weakens the tower (can get someone killed fast) and helps set the tension for the game. In the middle I like things to slow down a little. Let the PCs guide the action some and allow them to come up with things to do that would require pulls. And then as it builds to the climax pulls become more frequent.

[oreso]

How often do actions have a chance of failure (in other words, requiring a pull)? Are there skills/attributes that govern competence in different situations?Yeah, as said, each character will have a questionnaire tailored to them. So, "What secret thing do you keep in your pocket?", "What's the real reason you left the army?", etc. The questions asked will guide the type of character made, while the answers flesh it out with interesting details and sources of conflict and all that good stuff.

Its usually one pull for each thing, but if the action is difficult or you aren't very good at it (purely decided by your questionnaire and the fiction of the game world), then it might be broken down into component parts: "One pull to keep the demon dog at bay, one pull to scramble up the ladder safely and another pull to keep the cutesy NPC child safe". So of course, the player can skip components if they're willing to take the consequences.

Player vs Player is excellent. Just a game of Jenga chicken, last player to pull wins. But of course, in the good old horror/survival/disaster movie trope, if the party fights amongst themselves it puts everyone else in danger too (because the collapse of the tower is brought that much closer). Cool stuff.

[macmillen]

I'm biased, but I agree with Crothian: it plays a bit different than how you ... Good review. I played Dread at Origins 07 and it was my favorite game.
________________________________________________________
Mac
Debt Consolidation (http://www.mydebtconsolidation.name"rel="dofollow)

[Crothian]

I'm biased, but I agree with Crothian: it plays a bit different than how you ... Good review. I played Dread at Origins 07 and it was my favorite game.


Which scenario did you play in that year?

[Four Color]

I also played Dread at Origins 07 (the compound of the evil cultists). It was by far my favorite game. I died from a bad pull, but it was still a lot of fun watching the last survivors attempt to escape.

[Crothian]

I might have been in that game with you. I played that scenerio that year, I think they played it twice that year. I think it was friday 8-midnight, but it might have been Saturday. I was really tired by the time that game ended :D