Thursday 28 February 2019

Santiago - A Myth of the Far Future

Catch the most wanted criminal in the galaxy!
Bandit, murderer, known to all, seen by none... has he killed a thousand men? Has he saved a dozen worlds? His legend is as large as the Rim itself, his trail as elusive as a wisp of starlight in the empty realms of space. The reward for him is the largest in history.
From Keepsake to Altair, a group of bounty hunters must follow a trail of clues across the Inner Frontier, racing against their rivals, to be the first to track down the Outlaw King.
An adventure for starting bounty hunters using the What's OLD is NEW roleplaying game system, set in the far future. Based on the novel by Mike Resnick.

This 48 page scenario supplement written by Russ Morrissey is designed to be used with the N.E.W. sci-fi rulebook. This book is an adventure set in the lawless vastness of space where the gun rules and criminals turn to bounty hunting when they have had enough of crime. The book is filled with the most amazing colourful characters on a plethora of worlds. The most memorable characters of the time are commemorated by the Black Orpheus in his epic poem, which helps to drive the story on throughout the book. Santiago is the biggest villain in Resnick's imaginative future, and the very best bounty hunters want to find and kill him for the reward and the fame. This is not so easy though, as Santiago and his deeds are shrouded in myth. The tension increases as more and more "characters" from the poem arrive on the same world. Surely, this is where Santiago can be found - but can he be killed?
The scenario starts with info on numerous planets that the PCs will visit in their quest to track down Santiago. The N.E.W. rulebook features a simple introductory scenario in the appendices to this story and this supplement carries on from where it left off. The PCs visit a series of planets picking up clues to the whereabouts of Santiago on each one. As so, this is a very linear adventure - move from A to B to C, etc. Stats are provided for a large cast of characters whom the PCs will interact with. Some of these are exceptionally tough and powerful (10d6 compared to 5d6 starting characters). In addition, on each planet the PCs visit are a list of bounties they can pursue. These will need to be fleshed out by the GM but can be useful if your players need extra credits and/or experience.
I enjoyed reading this supplement. I read the novel, Santiago by Mike Resnick many years ago and liked it a lot but I had forgotten much of the plot. I have been wondering whether I could use this scenario in my The Ace of Spades Campaign? and the answer is probably not. The setting is very different to mine and is set many, many years ahead of my campaign. That said, it is a very well written supplement and I know I would enjoy playing it.
Amazon UK currently have it for sale at £11.73. 

8 comments:

  1. Sounds like a fun supplement Bryan, and who doesn't like bounty hunters

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    1. Many thanks, Dave. I totally agree with you - I love bounty hunters, which is why "The Ace of Spades" has two of them.

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  2. Very intriguing supplement. I wish I had of gotten into the WOIN RPG system when I was able to.

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    1. Thank you, Major. It's not too late to get into it now. One rulebook is all you really need. It is my favourite RPG system ever, which is massive praise from me.

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  3. Another tempting volume of which I knew nothing until you mentioned it, Bryan. With so many bounties on offer, do you think it might make a good backstory for a "Strontium Dog" "W.O.I.N." campaign?

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    1. Cheers, Simon. Oh, what an interesting question you ask. I hadn't considered playing it with Strontium Dogs but, yes, it would work perfectly well with them. That's a great idea and one I might consider doing once the "Strontium Dogs" supplement is released later this year.

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  4. I always find with RPG books Bryan that while you might never play them they are enjoyable to read & you normally get one or two ideas out of them, be it characters or plots :)

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    1. That is absolutely true, Frank, and is something I have done on numerous occasions in the past.

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