Hey there friends. After a long hiatus I'm back with another review! Today I'll be reviewing a great indie RPG called Warpland. Just as a note, I was part of the
Kickstarter for this product.
Warpland is the psychadelic, doom-laden vision of designer Gavriel Quiroga and a host of great artists and other design staff. The setting takes place in the world of the Warp, a post-apocalyptic world of sword, sorcery, and ancient science. It's definitely inspired by "The Time Machine" by H.G. Wells and involves a great war between the technologically advanced Eloi and the hordes of the brutish Morlocks. This war then births the maelstrom that is the Warp. Warpland is what happens when you blend up Conan the Barbarian, heavy metal, and the works of Hunter S. Thompson into a kaleidoscopic cocktail. It's full of twisted, mutagenic flavor.
The writing in this book is fantastic and evokes the chaotic, untamed desperation that exists within the Warp. Gavriel writes in a way that is smooth and easily digestible, just like a fine whiskey. There are some places in the book where the writing is sparse and seems like a misuse of space, but honestly, I didn't mind at all. I thought it really conveyed an art book vibe and the text on those pages was even more meaningful. My favorite part of the writing is the NPC quotes. These were golden and I even re-read them just to let them soak in. The sections on locations and factions gave just enough detail to spark the imagination, but not so much detail that the GM feels constrained. Each of these sections have useful plot hook tables to speed up the prep process and allow the players to hit the ground running.
Simply, the art is fantastic! It is a mix of styles but that just further accentuates the turbulent nature of the setting. There are so many artists that were used on this project and none of them fail to deliver. A couple of the standout artists in this book are Johan Nohr (of Mork Borg fame), and acclaimed British sci-fi painter Bruce Pennington.
The engine that runs this game is similar to Gavriel's last offering, Neurocity. The system has a lot of similarities to RPGs in the British OSR family. It's a simple, 2d6, roll-under system that is quick to learn and easy to start running. The combat is super simple and combines to-hit and damage. The system feels very modular and has a very DIY quality. If one was interested, they could alter the system to add or subtract the amount of complexity, although the system is already quite simple.
As a bonus for joining the Kickstarter, I received "The Forbidden Book of Tangible Reality," which is a quick rules reference. This was a great resource! I also received access to some other goodies like a weather generator and a dungeon synth album (which comes with a new scenario).
Overall, Warpland is a great game and looks like a lot of fun! I can't wait to throw my hapless PCs into the frenzy of the Warp. The game is a full shelf of gonzo spice and it never lets up. I absolutely love that Gavriel has written the game in a way that gives GMs maximum accomodations. Everything in this book is an asset to be used and absorbed. I can't say enough good things about this game, but I have one small criticism. The print was pretty decent, but I would love to have a high quality hardback to place on my shelf. Besides that, I find very little I can criticize. You can tell that this was a passion project for Gavriel and it shows on every single page in the book. I look forward to more projects by Mr. Quiroga and I hope this age of passionate indie development continues to grow. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Warpland. The only thing you'll regret is angering that Watcher and his dreaded mount!
Warpland is the psychadelic, doom-laden vision of designer Gavriel Quiroga and a host of great artists and other design staff. The setting takes place in the world of the Warp, a post-apocalyptic world of sword, sorcery, and ancient science. It's definitely inspired by "The Time Machine" by H.G. Wells and involves a great war between the technologically advanced Eloi and the hordes of the brutish Morlocks. This war then births the maelstrom that is the Warp. Warpland is what happens when you blend up Conan the Barbarian, heavy metal, and the works of Hunter S. Thompson into a kaleidoscopic cocktail. It's full of twisted, mutagenic flavor. 
The writing in this book is fantastic and evokes the chaotic, untamed desperation that exists within the Warp. Gavriel writes in a way that is smooth and easily digestible, just like a fine whiskey. There are some places in the book where the writing is sparse and seems like a misuse of space, but honestly, I didn't mind at all. I thought it really conveyed an art book vibe and the text on those pages was even more meaningful. My favorite part of the writing is the NPC quotes. These were golden and I even re-read them just to let them soak in. The sections on locations and factions gave just enough detail to spark the imagination, but not so much detail that the GM feels constrained. Each of these sections have useful plot hook tables to speed up the prep process and allow the players to hit the ground running.
Comments
Post a Comment