[RPG]: Artesia: Adventures in the Known World, reviewed by ShannonA (5/5)

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/12/12011.phtml

Shannon Appelcline's Summary:

A beautifully produced RPG with a innovative, elegant game system and an excellent fantasy background, previously seen in the author's Artesia comic books.

Go to the full review for more information.

[Dan Davenport]

Great review, Shannon! I like the way in which you looked at the game from several different angles.

I'm also happy to see you writing RPG reviews again. Board games aren't really my thing.

[ShannonA]

Originally Posted by Dan Davenport

Great review, Shannon! I like the way in which you looked at the game from several different angles.

I'm also happy to see you writing RPG reviews again. Board games aren't really my thing.

I'm really unlikely to do too many RPG reviews, but I couldn't pass this one up because I was already interested in the background ... and I'm happy I didn't. As you can see, I think it's a fine game.

[Jason D]

Damn it.

I didn't want to buy Artesia, but the rave reviews from various folks on rpg.net convinced me.

I liked the art so much from the various official Artesia sites that I ordered the three trade paperbacks.

Having purchased it and given it a quick skim, I decided that didn't want to run it, as it seemed a bit on the overcomplex side.

Now a review, based on actual play, from a reviewer I respect, has me rethinking that position.

[ShannonA]

It is definitely complex, but nonetheless elegant and in a lot of ways rewarding.

If you already have the game, I think it's worth trying out. As I said in my review, we gave it 4 weeks, and were happy with the results.

[mannydipresso]

Brilliant review, Shannon.

Unfortunately, like Mr. Durall, I too was trying to convince myself that I didn't really want to buy Artesia, but then along comes your review and *poof* my willpower crumbles like a cookie.

Oh well, you've already been instrumental in my purchasing "Carcassonne: the City" (a purchase I have never regreted) so why not Artesia as well.

Keep up the good reviewing.

[Jason D]

I'm a bit concerned about Mark Smylie's career trajectory...

Comic writer/illustrator > card illustrator > rpg author.

He seems to have it backwards. What's next, a fanzine?

[Fulsrush]

A really good review there, and it pretty much summed up everything I thought about the game (and all the little rules bits I thought I was just overlooking, like starting magic spells and so on).

I haven't yet run the game, although since I like running character-driven geographic campaigns (rather than plot-heavy travelogue ones), the campaign setting of the sample adventure feels like a really good starting point for a game.

It's going to be a while before I feel confident enough with the system or the setting to actually run the game - plus I'd want to get the players reading at least the first of the graphic novels (the only one I've read so far), in order to get a feel for the world.

Once you get a few sessions of Artesia under your belt, the system really isn't all that complex. The main thing I did to make the book more usable was to photocopy some of the pages I knew I'd reference a lot, like the arcana and combat section.

The magic system's not exactly wonky, but it's deep. There's a lot there, and it can take a while for it all to sink in. But the effort's well worth it, as the magic system is one of the best-integrated ones I've ever seen.

[Fulsrush]

I'm planning on doing with Artesia what I often do the first time I run a game where I'm not overly familiar with the system: write a summary sheet of the important bits. I always find it helps.