Horror: A Roleplaying Game

Horror: A Roleplaying Game is a release from DMDave Publishing. It's a system neutral game that uses the Year Zero Engine srd from Fria Ligan AB. This means the game is compatible with Alien RPG, Twilight: 2000, Blade Runner RPG, Vaesen, and a majority of Free League's releases. The book is roughly 64 pages, counting SRD, index and character sheet. The game is divided into the following chapters: Introduction, Character Creation, Skills and Specialties, Combat and Damage, and Travel. This is strictly a rules tome and has no art.

As mentioned in the introduction the game is designed to be extremely adaptable for horror movie rpg experiences. The mechanics are simple, combat is quick and deadly, and there are rewards for pushing your luck. However, failure comes at a cost. The game focuses on players and the story. The game doesn't use a full set of polyhedrals, and a collection of 10-15 d6's are suggested. The game has two main modes: Flick Mode and Franchise Mode. Flick Mode is fast and brutal. Stakes are high and most (if not all) characters aren't expected to survive. Franchise Mode is designed for multiple sessions and characters have a greater chance of survival.

There is no character creation in Flick Mode. Characters are provided by the GM. In Franchise Mode players will create a character using seven steps. The most important step is picking your archetype. Each Archetype has key attributes, skills, and specialties tied to it. They also have a pesonal agenda for players to pick an option from, as well as a weakness, dark secret, and signature item they will do the same with. Finally there is a gear section. The archetypes presented are:

• Ambitious Scientist
• Brave Adventurer
• Brawny Protector
• Cynical Survivor
• Devoted Caregiver
• Enigmatic Artist
• Fearless Youth
• Seasoned Detective

The game has 12 core skills. Each is tied to an attribute. When you try to do something you roll a number of dice equal to your skills, attribute, and sometimes gear. Each dice type should be a different color. A six is a success and more successes mean better outcomes. You can push your luck, though in the end you can only attempt something once. Note even if you fail a role, the story is still pushed forward... the are just consequences. There are several specialties that affect skills in different ways.

As mentioned before, combat can be fast and deadly. Maps aren't required and things are set up in range zones. This is one of the more robust chapters. It deals with movement, attack, vehicles, chases, damage, and many other topics. One important feature of the Year Zero Engine is that character suffer both (physical) damage and stress. 

The final chapter deals with travel, goes into driving vehicles a bit more, camping, and other survival mechanics.

This seems like a solid ruleset that I'd definitely love to dive in to. Right now there is one scenario collection book for the game, The Diner. I also picked it up and will be posting a review later today or tomorrow. If you are looking for a new horror rpg (especially one to do one shots with), I'd recommend picking this one up. You can get a physical copy of the rules for 9.99 and a digital copy for 4.99 from the DMDave Publishing online store.