Roleplaying Games – Monster of the Week & Mage the Ascension

So you want to try Roleplaying games, but need to know what’s out there? well we’re here to help.

Today we will look at two modern supernatural games. In both you have the internet, guns, cars, and electricity in your home. But there’s strange things out there…

Monster of the Week (Evil Hat Productions)

Blurb – ‘Monster of the Week is a standalone action-horror RPG for 3-5 people. Hunt high school beasties a la Buffy the Vampire Slayer, travel the country to bring down unnatural creatures like the Winchester brothers of Supernatural, or head up the government investigation like Mulder and Scully. This book contains everything you need to tackle Bigfoot, collar a chupacabra, and drive away demons.

Genre – Modern, Supernatural, Horror.

Notes – Great on-ramp game for those new to gaming since there are so many shows in popular culture.

It is easy to gear your game to emulate your favourite tv show, or mix in mythology and create your own blend.

A great feature is the history section of the playbooks, where you discuss events from your characters past and how they are tied to the other characters.

Movie/TV touchstones – Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural, The Grimm, Lost Girl.

Where to get it – http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/143518/Monster-of-the-Week

Hear it discussed – https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/1-forward/id1110623840?mt=2

See it played – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-d1UZY-8Z0&list=PLccARXndpwfg-15iNdN2wU0atyh4ZNyH8

Mage the Ascension (White Wolf)

Blurb – ‘Against the epic tapestry of an Ascension War, Mage features architects of reality locked in a battle to see whose future will prevail. But within that sometimes cosmic scope, Mage asks an intimate question: If you had the power of a god, what would you do with it… and what would IT do with YOU? Every mage – from a Verbena witch to a Man in Black – is an agent of change, a dynamic hero in a world gone mad. And though that world overflows with cosmic horrors and gunfights in the streets, the biggest enemy you face is despair.’

Genre – Modern, Supernatural, Horror

Notes – All the characters can do magic, but there are many ways to perform different magics, and affect the world around you.

This game does require some reading to get the hang of, but you soon realise the wide variety of story types you can have with this game.

With the new revised version here are guides in the book of adjusting the tone, length and detail of your story and setting.

Movie/TV touchstones – The Magicians, Dr Strange, Harry Potter, Dark City.

Where to get it – http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/199/Mage-The-Ascension-Revised?it=1

Hear it played? – https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/midnight-express/id840424104?mt=2

See it played – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LG3_0gByuFA&list=PL4IScHuOGRjaDQ-dc8Z5EuyCURV95_jZL