[RPG]: [Horror Week] The Shab-al-Hiri Roach, reviewed by merb101 (5/4)

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/13/13378.phtml

Michael Erb's Summary:

A fun though sometimes challenging storytelling game that is best suited for a more experienced group of players. The setting and story are beautifully dark and superbly funny.

Go to the full review for more information.

[Wyvern76]

What's the point of swallowing the Roach, if it locks you out of winning?

Wyvern

[Kai Tave]

Originally Posted by Wyvern76

What's the point of swallowing the Roach, if it locks you out of winning?

Wyvern

My guess is that it allows you to keep other people from winning. So if you don't think you'll be able to win the game yourself, you can at least deep-six the bastards who kept you from doing so.

[merb101]

The only way you can get a D12 in-game is to be Roach-bound. That, and the fact that sometimes the card you draw gives you a really powerful boon if you are Roach-bound, but forces you to do something less desirable if you are Roach-free (like giving someone else Reputation). The cards are purposefully set up this way to entice you to take on the Roach.

Technically you could play the entire game possessed by the Roach, then try to shed it in the last scene to win the game, but chances are your Reputation would be dismal.

The other thing is, though you can "win" the game, it really is all about the story being told. Who wins and who loses is less important than how much fun everyone has in telling the story of Pemberton's fall.

ME

[jmstar]

Originally Posted by Wyvern76

What's the point of swallowing the Roach, if it locks you out of winning?

Wyvern

The game's set up so that if you aren't Roached, you are going to lose conflicts way more often. So the dice are against you, and the guys who are slaves to the Roach are walking all over you. That, combined with the structure of the cards, adds up to a powerful temptation to give in to the Roach. A typical sequence of play:

EVENT ONE: "No way am I taking that thing. I value my humanity!"
EVENT TWO: "Whoa, those guys with the d12's are mopping the floor with me."
EVENT THREE: "I'll take it! Right now! Ha! In your face!"
EVENT FOUR: "This isn't so bad after all. Now I am awesome."
EVENT FIVE: "Oh dear God, please let me get free of this thing..."
EVENT SIX: "Nooooooooooo!"

Because winners determine the outcome of conflicts, losing all the time means you don't get to further your own character's agenda. There's a lot of pressure to succeed, and to get the tools for success you need to make a deal with the (Roachy) devil.