[RPG]: Passages, reviewed by Dan Davenport (3/5)

[RPGnet Reviews]

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/14/14218.phtml

Dan Davenport's Summary:

A wildly revamped d20 system guides characters in adventures through literary settings of the Victorian era and earlier. d20 purists may cringe, but fans of multigenre settings and Victorian adventure untouched by steampunk may rejoice.

Go to the full review for more information.

[Davies]

First off, Fu Manchu first appeared in 1911, so he's not a Victorian character, no matter what some people would like to think. (He's Edwardian.) Secondly, unlike all of the characters listed, he's still under copyright.

Chris Davies.

[Dan Davenport]

Originally Posted by Davies

First off, Fu Manchu first appeared in 1911, so he's not a Victorian character, no matter what some people would like to think. (He's Edwardian.) Secondly, unlike all of the characters listed, he's still under copyright.

Chris Davies.

Whoops... My bad. Thanks for pointing that out, Chris.

[Blue Seraph]

Excellent review for an excellent game (disclaimer: I bought the PDF, but haven't played it yet.)

Actually, I wish Passages had deviated more from standard d20, using ability bonuses rather than scores, and scrapping more of the D20 artifacts like touch attacks, flat-footed, convoluted grappling rules, dying and stabilizing, the conditions list, etc. My guess is that fans of Passages are probably going to use the "7th Sea" philosophy that characters don't die (they just get knocked out or captured.)

Dan, I am curious why you like Dex as the governing skill for all combat. Generally, I think it makes Dex an uber-Stat. In the case of Passages, you can buy the "Combat Finesse" advantage which allows you to swap your Dex mod for your Str mod for determining damage. If I ran this, I would expect to see "Dex monsters" from the min-maxers.

But I think the main drawback to Passages is the organization. It's impossible for me to find anything quickly, maybe because the chapter headings have curious quotes like "The Arthur Guiness Compendium of Remarkable Abilities and Tricky Tavern Wagers." That's the heading for Chapter 4 (Advantages). While I appreciate the creativity, I can't quickly parse "Advantages" from a something about tavern wagers. Also, I would have preferred the game in three sections: Rules, Victorian life, and specifics of the Passages universe. That way I could read sections 2 and 3, but limit my in-game reference to Section 1.

[Dan Davenport]

Originally Posted by Blue Seraph

Excellent review for an excellent game (disclaimer: I bought the PDF, but haven't played it yet.)

Thanks very much!

Originally Posted by Blue Seraph

Dan, I am curious why you like Dex as the governing skill for all combat. Generally, I think it makes Dex an uber-Stat. In the case of Passages, you can buy the "Combat Finesse" advantage which allows you to swap your Dex mod for your Str mod for determining damage. If I ran this, I would expect to see "Dex monsters" from the min-maxers.

I can see the uber-stat issue, but I've always preferred separating out accuracy from power -- especially if there's any chance of encountering huge, clumsy behemoths. I like the fact that Passages allows the reverse of Combat Finesse to allow for hand-to-hand combatants who rely on brute force, albeit as the exception rather than the rule. As to Combat Finesse itself: yeah, I can see that being a problem, but since it seems to suit the swashbuckling aspects of the setting, I'm willing to give it a pass.

Originally Posted by Blue Seraph

But I think the main drawback to Passages is the organization. It's impossible for me to find anything quickly, maybe because the chapter headings have curious quotes like "The Arthur Guiness Compendium of Remarkable Abilities and Tricky Tavern Wagers." That's the heading for Chapter 4 (Advantages). While I appreciate the creativity, I can't quickly parse "Advantages" from a something about tavern wagers. Also, I would have preferred the game in three sections: Rules, Victorian life, and specifics of the Passages universe. That way I could read sections 2 and 3, but limit my in-game reference to Section 1.

Agreed. The organization was my main reason for the mediocre Style score.