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Broken Compass: Adventure Journal
- GenresRole Playing Games
239 pages, Hardcover
Published December 1, 2020
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April 22, 2021Ring Side Report-RPG Review of Broken Compass- Adventure Journal
Originally posted at www.throatpunchgames.com, a new idea every day!
Product- Broken Compass-Adventure Journal
System- Broken Compass
Producer- Two Little Mice
Price- $24 here https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/336888/Broken-Compass--Adventure-Journal?affiliate_id=658618
TL; DR- Good light pulp adventure game with a few flaws. 87%
Basics- Onwards to adventure! Broken Compass is a classic pulp RPG where the characters play adventurers like Indiana Jones as they run across the world solving ancient puzzles and surviving gun battles with groups of minions among the skeletons of those that have come before. This is much more of a rules light, roleplay heavy game. Let’s see the pieces themselves.
Character Build- Character generation and build is incredibly easy. Each character has a bunch of skills that you can think of as attributes in DnD and fields you can think of like skills in DnD. Each skill has multiple fields that are linked to it. All players start with 2 ranks in each skill and one in each focus. You get the skill and foci for your character via choosing two tags the describe your character in two words. You also choose expertise that further describes what things your characters are good at. You then get a bit of gear and you’re done. It’s VERY quick.
Base Mechanics-Fitting quick character building, the mechanics are also very quick. When you face a problem in this game, you choose a skill and a field within that skill. The GM called the fortune master may give you additional dice called advantages or make you lose dice called disadvantages. In addition, you may get additional dice or penalties depending on your condition aka how you feel. You roll a number of six sided dice equal to this total. The goal is to get sets of dice with the same value like three of a kind. For basic challenges, you need two of a kind. For challenging encounters you need three of a kind and so on. Some conditions and events require you to get multiple sets to succeed like shooting a gun as a challenging encounter while driving a car in a storm as a basic encounter. If you fail but have one set but not enough of that set, you can risk the result and reroll any dice you want to hopefully get the successes you need. In addition, if you have expertise from your character background in what you are doing, you get a reroll for free on that activity.
Challenge vs danger- There are differences between reading an ancient scroll and shooting a nazi. This is reflected by challenges and danger. Challenges are fail forward encounters where a player attempts something that might fail, but if they fail the story continues. This may alert the enemy or cause you to miss a vital clue yet find the hidden temple just not notice the trap at the entrance. Dangers are fights or traps that might hurt a player. If you fail a check, you take damage in the form of luck. Basic challenges cause you to lose one luck while more advanced things cause you to lose much more luck. When you are out of luck (the book is VERY pulp heavy!), you have to spend a luck coin to stay in the fight. Between fights, you can rest up and get back your luck.
Let’s dig deep into my thoughts on this game!
Mechanics or Crunch-This is a fast game that is not for crunch heavy gamers. The game is very light and lets the players just free form ideas as long as the GM goes with it. It’s also reminiscent of Numenera as the GM doesn’t really roll dice. Players roll dice and success or failure determines what happens, not GM rolls or attacks. When a player is attacked, the player tells the fortune keeper how they avoid the attack. It's very fast. The one problem I have is I would like a bit more complexity. It’s solid enough, and I like rolling d6s and hoping for sets. But, I like a bit more crunch for the system. Feats or special abilities would help a bit here. Also leveling up doesn’t really get you much. That’s good as the players can hop in to basically any adventure, but it also means long term play doesn’t net the characters many gains. The system I compare this the most to is Numenera, and in that system when you level up, you get a bit more. Also in Numenera, there is just a bit more crunch for players to dig into. Broken Compass is fun and light, but I want a bit more crunch in this system. 4.5/5
Theme or Fluff-Hands down this is an amazing, fluff filled game. Every character is set up to look like a pulp stereotype, both modern and old school. The adventures are written to be replaceable and generic but relatable in that classic way as things like OLD MAN, ANCIENT TEMPLE, RIVAL are used to be plug and play with different characters but the fortune master is given tons of different materials to help make the story. Is the OLD MAN a survivor of the great war who saw the temple in the Jungles while on patrol or is the RIVAL a silicon valley billionaire out for world conquest with the Eye of Ra? Its light in a good way so you can put this into any time or place with that good pulp feel. Stories flow from Amazon adventures to exploration under the Egyption pyramids. Every page has lots of fluff and art that makes a player or a fortune master feel like they are part of a classic pulp book in the discount bin of a grocery store. If you want to feel like your Indiana Jones or at least someone reading an Indiana Jones story, this is a solid book to read through. 5/5
Execution- PDF? Yes. Hyperlinked? Yes! I like this book, but don’t love it. The book reads well, is well laid out, and has great art. There are even pregens and a quick adventure where the players and the fortune master can get playing asap instead of having to figure out character generation and adventure creation on their own. Those are all great reasons to check this book. But, the major fault of this book is I need more on how to run the game. There are explanations of how single players encounter things, but I need a bit more on how multiple players encounter a thing. Does everyone face the threat or just one? Even fighting one on many, how does that work? A bit more would really help me better understand how to run this game. This is a solid game, but it needs a bit more explanation to make it rock solid. 3.5/5
Summary-I like this game, but it has some small faults. The idea of rolling a bunch of dice and hope for sets of numbers is a fun one. The theme is great and well presented. The book overall is a solid read and way to get into the game. One major issue I have is I want more crunch, so players feel like they are progressing. Good for one shots or short campaigns, but longer multi story arcs might not be as much fun. The other major issue I have is I need more explanation on how to run this as a fortune master. The system works, but I have questions if I’ve done it right. That’s never a good feeling to have. If you play with people who just want to have a good time, it will be fun. But the power gamer out there won’t enjoy this as much. If you want some good pulp, this is worth your golden idol. If you need a bit more crunch and a bit more explanation, maybe look in another tomb. 86%
Originally posted at www.throatpunchgames.com, a new idea every day!
Product- Broken Compass-Adventure Journal
System- Broken Compass
Producer- Two Little Mice
Price- $24 here https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/336888/Broken-Compass--Adventure-Journal?affiliate_id=658618
TL; DR- Good light pulp adventure game with a few flaws. 87%
Basics- Onwards to adventure! Broken Compass is a classic pulp RPG where the characters play adventurers like Indiana Jones as they run across the world solving ancient puzzles and surviving gun battles with groups of minions among the skeletons of those that have come before. This is much more of a rules light, roleplay heavy game. Let’s see the pieces themselves.
Character Build- Character generation and build is incredibly easy. Each character has a bunch of skills that you can think of as attributes in DnD and fields you can think of like skills in DnD. Each skill has multiple fields that are linked to it. All players start with 2 ranks in each skill and one in each focus. You get the skill and foci for your character via choosing two tags the describe your character in two words. You also choose expertise that further describes what things your characters are good at. You then get a bit of gear and you’re done. It’s VERY quick.
Base Mechanics-Fitting quick character building, the mechanics are also very quick. When you face a problem in this game, you choose a skill and a field within that skill. The GM called the fortune master may give you additional dice called advantages or make you lose dice called disadvantages. In addition, you may get additional dice or penalties depending on your condition aka how you feel. You roll a number of six sided dice equal to this total. The goal is to get sets of dice with the same value like three of a kind. For basic challenges, you need two of a kind. For challenging encounters you need three of a kind and so on. Some conditions and events require you to get multiple sets to succeed like shooting a gun as a challenging encounter while driving a car in a storm as a basic encounter. If you fail but have one set but not enough of that set, you can risk the result and reroll any dice you want to hopefully get the successes you need. In addition, if you have expertise from your character background in what you are doing, you get a reroll for free on that activity.
Challenge vs danger- There are differences between reading an ancient scroll and shooting a nazi. This is reflected by challenges and danger. Challenges are fail forward encounters where a player attempts something that might fail, but if they fail the story continues. This may alert the enemy or cause you to miss a vital clue yet find the hidden temple just not notice the trap at the entrance. Dangers are fights or traps that might hurt a player. If you fail a check, you take damage in the form of luck. Basic challenges cause you to lose one luck while more advanced things cause you to lose much more luck. When you are out of luck (the book is VERY pulp heavy!), you have to spend a luck coin to stay in the fight. Between fights, you can rest up and get back your luck.
Let’s dig deep into my thoughts on this game!
Mechanics or Crunch-This is a fast game that is not for crunch heavy gamers. The game is very light and lets the players just free form ideas as long as the GM goes with it. It’s also reminiscent of Numenera as the GM doesn’t really roll dice. Players roll dice and success or failure determines what happens, not GM rolls or attacks. When a player is attacked, the player tells the fortune keeper how they avoid the attack. It's very fast. The one problem I have is I would like a bit more complexity. It’s solid enough, and I like rolling d6s and hoping for sets. But, I like a bit more crunch for the system. Feats or special abilities would help a bit here. Also leveling up doesn’t really get you much. That’s good as the players can hop in to basically any adventure, but it also means long term play doesn’t net the characters many gains. The system I compare this the most to is Numenera, and in that system when you level up, you get a bit more. Also in Numenera, there is just a bit more crunch for players to dig into. Broken Compass is fun and light, but I want a bit more crunch in this system. 4.5/5
Theme or Fluff-Hands down this is an amazing, fluff filled game. Every character is set up to look like a pulp stereotype, both modern and old school. The adventures are written to be replaceable and generic but relatable in that classic way as things like OLD MAN, ANCIENT TEMPLE, RIVAL are used to be plug and play with different characters but the fortune master is given tons of different materials to help make the story. Is the OLD MAN a survivor of the great war who saw the temple in the Jungles while on patrol or is the RIVAL a silicon valley billionaire out for world conquest with the Eye of Ra? Its light in a good way so you can put this into any time or place with that good pulp feel. Stories flow from Amazon adventures to exploration under the Egyption pyramids. Every page has lots of fluff and art that makes a player or a fortune master feel like they are part of a classic pulp book in the discount bin of a grocery store. If you want to feel like your Indiana Jones or at least someone reading an Indiana Jones story, this is a solid book to read through. 5/5
Execution- PDF? Yes. Hyperlinked? Yes! I like this book, but don’t love it. The book reads well, is well laid out, and has great art. There are even pregens and a quick adventure where the players and the fortune master can get playing asap instead of having to figure out character generation and adventure creation on their own. Those are all great reasons to check this book. But, the major fault of this book is I need more on how to run the game. There are explanations of how single players encounter things, but I need a bit more on how multiple players encounter a thing. Does everyone face the threat or just one? Even fighting one on many, how does that work? A bit more would really help me better understand how to run this game. This is a solid game, but it needs a bit more explanation to make it rock solid. 3.5/5
Summary-I like this game, but it has some small faults. The idea of rolling a bunch of dice and hope for sets of numbers is a fun one. The theme is great and well presented. The book overall is a solid read and way to get into the game. One major issue I have is I want more crunch, so players feel like they are progressing. Good for one shots or short campaigns, but longer multi story arcs might not be as much fun. The other major issue I have is I need more explanation on how to run this as a fortune master. The system works, but I have questions if I’ve done it right. That’s never a good feeling to have. If you play with people who just want to have a good time, it will be fun. But the power gamer out there won’t enjoy this as much. If you want some good pulp, this is worth your golden idol. If you need a bit more crunch and a bit more explanation, maybe look in another tomb. 86%
April 18, 2022
Uno dei migliori GDR usciti negli ultimi tempi, un sistema facile intuitivo e stimolante coadiuva una narrazione incalzante e adrenalinica, il non si propone come adatto a tutte le sitauzione e prende questa cosa come suo punto di forza. In Broken Compass si giocano degli avventurieri, uomini e donne che si gettano a capofitto in una rocambolesca ricerca del "Tesoro" obbiettivo ultimo che caratterizzerà ogni sessione (chiamate episodi) e ogni "campagna" (qui chiamate Season, come una serie tv e dalla durata tra i 3 e i 6 episodi). Il sistema, chiamato Fortune system è basato sul lancio di pool di dadi a 6 facce, è una di quelle cose da provare una volta nella vita ed è davvero divertente perché vi porterà a tirare davvero spesso e tanto e a tentare quasi costantemente la fortuna, dopotutto è questo priorio il topic del gioco. In conclusione consigliatissimo e sicuramente da provare almeno una volta!
October 13, 2024
Juego de rol para narrar principalmente grandes aventuras del estilo Indiana Jones, la momia la búsqueda, the librarians etc.
El libro esta escrito con mucha gracia, con buenas y frecuentes ilustraciones y nos ofrece un modo de juego original y sencillo con bastantes posibilidades.
El juego incluye una aventura introductoria poco esbozada que obligará l master a poner mucho de su parte para que funcione, por lo que no lo veo muy recomendable para masters principiantes.
Las expansiones publicadas ofrecen contextos de juego y campañas completas, que espero, tengan un poco más de detalle.
En cualquier caso, un juego muy apreciable que se lee con mucho gusto y es capaz de inspirar buenas historias. Deseando probarlo.
El libro esta escrito con mucha gracia, con buenas y frecuentes ilustraciones y nos ofrece un modo de juego original y sencillo con bastantes posibilidades.
El juego incluye una aventura introductoria poco esbozada que obligará l master a poner mucho de su parte para que funcione, por lo que no lo veo muy recomendable para masters principiantes.
Las expansiones publicadas ofrecen contextos de juego y campañas completas, que espero, tengan un poco más de detalle.
En cualquier caso, un juego muy apreciable que se lee con mucho gusto y es capaz de inspirar buenas historias. Deseando probarlo.
January 30, 2024
Il gioco lo proverò effettivamente la prossima settimana, ma il manuale in sé è un’esperienza divertente, scanzonata e che mischia perfettamente informazioni e decorazione.
June 15, 2024
Full thoughts here, comparing to Outgunned.
https://delta-pavonis.blogspot.com/20...
https://delta-pavonis.blogspot.com/20...
March 25, 2023
Indiana Jones ha il suo gioco di ruolo, ed è Broken Compass.
È un gioco che vive di avventura e azione, fa vestire i panni di Avventurieri in cerca del Tesoro, oggetto del desiderio anche per il Rivale.
È molto forte il richiamo al mondo cinematografico e della serialità. Apprezzo molto la possibilità di giocare il periodo storico che si preferisce, ci sono altri manuali (assolutamente facoltativi, ma direi consigliati) più o meno specifici in base all'ambientazione preferita. La creazione e la scheda del personaggio sono semplici e veloci, come il resto del gioco, e non c'è bisogno di perdere tempo a scrivere un background. Come sistema si usa il Fortune System, un pool di d6 per determinare se le nostre azioni si svolgono nel migliore dei modi o se subiamo delle conseguenze. Lo sviluppo del personaggio è lento, ma c'è modo di modificarlo più volte per farlo adattare bene al proprio gusto.
L'Adventure Journal è il manuale base (attualmente esistono altri 5 manuali che trattano vari argomenti, da regole di ambientazione a storie "prefatte") e presenta le varie regole e meccaniche del gioco, più un'ambientazione dedicata al 1999 e una one-shot (anzi, un pilot).
Un punto che vorrei sottolineare è la qualità fisica del prodotto: il manuale è di dimensioni contenute (finalmente non un libro pesante e ingombrante ma qualcosa da poter tenere in borsa), con copertina morbida, bordi arrotondati, segnalibro, elastico per chiudere il tutto e portamatita. Le illustrazioni sono bellissime. Tutti i manuali e gli schermi del master, una volta chiusi e ripiegati hanno la stessa dimensione. Se poi si va a vedere anche la qualità dei dadi, delle carte, delle mappe, delle monete portafortuna... Nell'insieme oltre ad essere un buon prodotto è anche esteticamente un bel prodotto.
Da amante di Savage Worlds (fast, furious and fun) non ho potuto non innamorarmi anche di Broken Compass.
Viaggia, scopri, agisci. Non ti arrovellare troppo sul tuo passato, e neanche sul futuro. Quel che conta è l'Avventura, e l'Avventura è adesso!
È un gioco che vive di avventura e azione, fa vestire i panni di Avventurieri in cerca del Tesoro, oggetto del desiderio anche per il Rivale.
È molto forte il richiamo al mondo cinematografico e della serialità. Apprezzo molto la possibilità di giocare il periodo storico che si preferisce, ci sono altri manuali (assolutamente facoltativi, ma direi consigliati) più o meno specifici in base all'ambientazione preferita. La creazione e la scheda del personaggio sono semplici e veloci, come il resto del gioco, e non c'è bisogno di perdere tempo a scrivere un background. Come sistema si usa il Fortune System, un pool di d6 per determinare se le nostre azioni si svolgono nel migliore dei modi o se subiamo delle conseguenze. Lo sviluppo del personaggio è lento, ma c'è modo di modificarlo più volte per farlo adattare bene al proprio gusto.
L'Adventure Journal è il manuale base (attualmente esistono altri 5 manuali che trattano vari argomenti, da regole di ambientazione a storie "prefatte") e presenta le varie regole e meccaniche del gioco, più un'ambientazione dedicata al 1999 e una one-shot (anzi, un pilot).
Un punto che vorrei sottolineare è la qualità fisica del prodotto: il manuale è di dimensioni contenute (finalmente non un libro pesante e ingombrante ma qualcosa da poter tenere in borsa), con copertina morbida, bordi arrotondati, segnalibro, elastico per chiudere il tutto e portamatita. Le illustrazioni sono bellissime. Tutti i manuali e gli schermi del master, una volta chiusi e ripiegati hanno la stessa dimensione. Se poi si va a vedere anche la qualità dei dadi, delle carte, delle mappe, delle monete portafortuna... Nell'insieme oltre ad essere un buon prodotto è anche esteticamente un bel prodotto.
Da amante di Savage Worlds (fast, furious and fun) non ho potuto non innamorarmi anche di Broken Compass.
Viaggia, scopri, agisci. Non ti arrovellare troppo sul tuo passato, e neanche sul futuro. Quel che conta è l'Avventura, e l'Avventura è adesso!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews