[RPG]: Dread: The First Book of Pandemonium: Unrated Edition, reviewed by SteveD (4/5)

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/13/13805.phtml

Steve Darlington's Summary:

Dread kicks back, with twice the force and ten times the awesome. Note: this is an NC-17 Review (profanity, violence, drug use, naked monotremes)

Go to the full review for more information.

[Rafael Chandler]

Originally Posted by SteveD

This is Dread as it should have been, as I think Chandler really wanted it to be, and the game – and the world – is better for it.

Thank you! And thanks for the review. I really appreciate it, particularly considering that the first edition of Dread was such an abominortion.

Originally Posted by SteveD

And as before, just because you can recognise that Chandler could and should be writing novels doesn’t mean the RPG isn’t there to be played, or that the fiction doesn’t serve its purpose.

I'm writing one as we speak. We'll see how far I get... Kinda busy writing three video games and a new tabletop RPG. Gah!

Originally Posted by SteveD

Maybe I’m egotistical, but I can see the influence my comments have had throughout this work, and that feels great for me, and more importantly has made Dread better for it.

No, you've got it. Your review of the first edition of Dread was extremely useful when I started working on the Unrated Edition. I printed up all of my reviews, in fact, and made a list of all of the things that had turned out wrong. These notes helped immensely during the development of the new edition. Of course, five years of continued play had revealed some other areas of room for improvement, but one of the biggest problems with the first edition was the fact that the text didn't adequately communicate how the game would be played by people other than myself. So your feedback was critical. Thanks!

Originally Posted by SteveD

What could have been added as well is a short list of Clues that can point to that demon being active, so GMs know what to put in the Investigation and Revelation parts of the adventure without too much work. That would make the game ten times easier to run.

That's a great idea. Not to product shill, but I just released a sourcebook for Dread that addresses this in part. It consists of several adventure scenarios, in which each location is described in detail, along with any clues that are discovered therein.

But the idea of a bunch of example clues that are specifically tied to each demon? Brilliant. I'm working on the Second Book of Pandemonium, and that would be a great addition to the book. Good idea!

Originally Posted by SteveD

Last time, I mentioned that the six page backstory on the demons was both dreary and irrelevant. This time, it’s gone. Completely. Chandler had the balls – and the creative insight - to edit himself to that degree, to cut out the entire thing.

Yeah, it was shit. Nobody liked it. Ron Edwards said "it reads like Sandman fanfic". When I started working on the new edition, I went back and read the first edition backstory, which I hadn't looked at in years. It was pretty painful. Red pen! Delete!

Originally Posted by SteveD

Chandler! Giant yellow birds! Monotreme-based magic! Zeppelin combat rules!

Done, done, and done.

Wait, what the fuck? Get... out... of my... head...

(*collapses, twitching*)

[Ars Mysteriorum]

Dread, as I said last time, does NOT fuck around. It’s clear, it’s direct and it’s never over-written. It knows what it’s about and it tells you. And it’s about taking no prisoners. It’s about full-contact, balls-to-the-wall monster hunter roleplaying. It’s about skull-fuckingly brutal ass-kicking, spitting out hails of bullets and hellstorms of sorcerous fury at demons so messed up they make Hannibal Lecter shit his pants. It’s about Quentin Tarantino crossed with Clive Barker. And – best of all – it’s about nothing else.

I couldn't have said it better.

Excellent review, and with all the feel of Dread itself. Well done!

EDIT: Rafael, I love the running tally of reviews on your sig. That's awesome!

[SteveD]

Always a pleasure, Mr Chandler. *tips hat, rides away*

[Kobayashi]

Chandler! Giant yellow birds! Monotreme-based magic! Zeppelin combat rules!

Done, done, and done.

Ok, now I wanna read this.

Great review !

[flyingmice]

Awesome review for a kickass game! Thanks Steve! And thanks Rafael!

-clash

[Reidzilla]

I was just wondering what the actual profanity level of the book is? After reading several reviews, I can't tell if it tasteful, sparse, and mild or flagrant, vulgar, and unnecessary. Please enlighten me as most of my gamer friends are Christians who may be offended.

[Rafael Chandler]

Originally Posted by Nightwalker

EDIT: Rafael, I love the running tally of reviews on your sig. That's awesome!

Thanks!

Originally Posted by Kobayashi

Ok, now I wanna read this.

I'll get on it.

Originally Posted by flyingmice

Awesome review for a kickass game! Thanks Steve! And thanks Rafael!

Thank you, compadre!

[Rafael Chandler]

Originally Posted by Reidzilla

After reading several reviews, I can't tell if it tasteful, sparse, and mild or flagrant, vulgar, and unnecessary.

Definitely flagrant, vulgar, and unnecessary.

Originally Posted by Reidzilla

Please enlighten me as most of my gamer friends are Christians who may be offended.

I would be kind of wary about playing this game with people who are offended by bad words. If they're offended by the language on TV shows like The Wire, The Sopranos, or Deadwood, then this is not a good fit for that group.

A few choice quotes:

Originally Posted by Dread

"Maybe you could put on a bib and eat my ass."

Originally Posted by Dread

"Council got a facial," I say.

He leans over and claps me on the shoulder. "Good for you, buddy. I figured if anyone was going to get in there, it was going to be you."

I shrug off his hand. "No, you jackass, a facial at a spa. You know, like a mud mask."

Originally Posted by Dread

He's big and jowly, got a thin little child-molester mustache like a drive-thru manager.

Originally Posted by Dread

Like, if it can get in through your mouth or ears, great. If not, then the urethra will work just fine. Or the anus. Whatever works, you know?

Man, I really just love my job sometimes.

[Mordren II]

Chandler! Giant yellow birds! Monotreme-based magic! Zeppelin combat rules!

Ok, now I've gotta write a scenario around Big Bird flying the Hindenburg with a magical mammalian sidekick.

Great review Steve, you've hit the nail on the head.