Doing a bit of research on the game before I bought it, I saw it had been in development for while, with some evidence of an early version going back nearly 10 years. They took their time to get exactly the way they wanted it and I can respect that.
by Bob Freeman and Connor Freeman.
2026. Bordermen Games. 352 pages (6" x 9" format).
There are two central themes/ideas baked into this game. The first is that magic, the supernatural, and all that is real but hidden (the Occult part), and the characters play the part of investigators of the occult (the Detective part). It is a very solid premise. But as long-time readers of my blog already know, we have no end to games that do this. What does Occult Detective do that is different?
The feel of the game is very Noir. IT could take place in the 1930s, 1990s, or last week. The timeline is not as important, I think, as the stories it is trying to tell. Stories is a good word for it, too. The game master is called "The Author," and the player characters are "The Protagonists." So already you get the feel that is a detective novel you will try to bring to life. There is some merit to this, but I have been watching a lot of Masterpiece Mystery on PBS. Sure, many of these began as books, but maybe the feel I want is more "The Director" and "The Characters." Yes, Occult Detective can do this, and that's how I'd play it.
The World Building chapter supports the idea of any sort of world/time. The equipment chapter, though, is more focused on 21st-century items and prices (as expected).
The intended audience for this book/game seems to be people who only have a passing familiarity with role-playing games. But maybe more than a starting interest in the Occult. That is fine. Any game can be someone's first game. I certainly get the feeling that author Bob Freeman has played a few games of his own, so he is familiar with how different games work.
Resolution is a d20 vs. target; roll high; 20s and 1s are criticals. But it is not a d20-as-in-D&D game. There are places where the DNA of D&D comes through, but that is true of every game.
Character Creation is fun and pretty easy. I did have to go back and forth just a little. But I kinda expect that with a new game. I do have to say I rather like the character sheets.
All characters have a Trope, or what amounts to an archetype. Not a class really, but it does let you know how your character will respond in certain situations and might give you a bonus to your rolls in other situations. For example, I gave Larina the Trope of Scholar, which will help her in her research tasks.
After that, you choose your Kith. This is similar to other games' species or even races. Think of it this way: Trope is what you Do; Kith is what you Are. They are Natural (your normal Humans), Preternatural (your magic users), and Supernatural (vampires, ghosts, and the like). There are rules for moving up. A Natural can learn some magic to become a Preternatural or become a werewolf (Supernatural). They are handled well enough and work well for this game.
All characters get a score in Fire, Air, Earth, Water, and Spirit. Each of these has different applications. For example, a high Spirit score gives a bonus to magick checks and other supernatural abilities, while Earth adds to your health. I have to admit it is my favorite part of the system.
Everyone starts at Level 1, and you level up after a successful case. Sometimes, for longer cases, you could level up in between. It is essentially a "milestone" style experience, and it works well here. Different Kith get different things at different even levels, and everyone gets something at different odd levels. (Or that might be the other way around; I'll have to check.
There are no long list of spells or psychic effects, but there are some to give you a start. The idea here is that each and every character might do things a little differently. I also like that.
Characters can also have curiosities. Like a Book of Shadows or a pentagram necklace.
If you are getting a "Dresden Files" vibe from this game so far, you are not wrong. I would say that the world of Occult Detective is a little more rain-swept and both darker and not as dangerous as Harry Dresden's Chicago. For example, the focus is on the "Protagonists," so the world bends around them. That doesn't mean they are "safer"; it is just that the mysteries they are going to solve will be ones that they can potentially solve. Also not saying they *will* solve them, but that they *could* solve them. This isn't Call of Cthulhu. Nor is it the sweeping universe that built up in the Dresden Files or even Antia Blake or Rachel Morgan. This is Harry, Anita, and Rachel in their first three books or so. The world of Occult Detective is dangerous, but it is also one the Protagonists can relate to.
The strength of this game comes from the notion that many occult traditions are true, even the contradictory ones. Use what you want and ignore the rest. The World Building chapter is the most flexible, but if you squint, you can see the "intended setting." That's fine, really, nothing at all wrong with that. There is enough here to make it your own.
Which is what I did.
My Jackson Kids
I mentioned last week that one of the takeaways from these playtests was the shocking revelation that Vera "Raven" Rook is a lot of fun. The game I played with her and my family was back in August. We only did one game of this before we came down with a cold. No. I don't blame the game. But Vera really started to become someone fun to have around.
Given the book is filled with various bits of occult symbolism and ideas, I am going to stick with my witches.
The first character took me a little bit, but after that the rest went extremely fast.
2nd Level Preternatural (Magician)
Trope: Scholar
Tradition: Folk Magic
Earth +1
Air +5
Fire +0
Water +2
Spirit +3
Wellness 12
Defense 12
Immunities: None
Resistances: None
Weaknesses: None
Resources: Upper Middle Class
Spells (Folk Magic)
Warding, Wild Speech, Scrying
Her Air is higher, reflecting her intellect.
2nd Level Preternatural (Magician)
Primary Tradition: Chaos Magick
Trope: Ghost Hunter
Earth +2
Air +2
Fire +1
Water +3
Spirit +3
Wellness: 13
Defense: 13
Immunities: None
Resistances: None
Weaknesses: None
Resources: Lower Middle Class
Spells (Chaos Magick)
Pyromancy, Dwimmering, Summon (Chaos)
Faye is a Chaos Magician to reflect her upbringing.
2nd Level Preternatural (Magician)
Primary Tradition: Ceremonial Magic
Trope: Investigator
Earth +2
Air +2
Fire +1
Water +4
Spirit +2
Wellness: 13
Defense: 14
Immunities: None
Resistances: None
Weaknesses: None
Resources: Upper Class
Spells (Ceremonial Magick)
Compel, Magic Circle, Mesmerize
Investigator works really well for the later game Stephanie. She wants to know what is going on. Not to understand it like Larina, but to stop it.
2nd Level Preternatural (Magician)
Primary Tradition: Mysticism
Trope: Thrill Seeker
Earth +1
Air +4
Fire +0
Water +2
Spirit +4
Wellness: 12
Defense: 12
Immunities: None
Resistances: None
Weaknesses: None
Resources: Upper Middle Class
Spells (Mysticism)
Mesmerize, Mind Reading, Scrying
This is where Vera began to shine for me. She is a "Thrill Seeker" because she likes the idea of these adventures. She also likes to hang out with Faye and annoy Larina and Stephanie.
Larina (reading): "Hic locus mortuorum est."
Vera: "Is that some Christian thing I don't get because I am Jewish?"
Larina: "No, it's Latin. And I am not Christian either; I'm Wiccan."
Vera: "There is hope for you yet, Nichols."
Laria: "It says, 'This place belongs to the dead.'"
Vera: "Less hopeful now."
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| Faye, Vera, Stephanie, and Larina investigate. |
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