OSR Review & Commentary On The Wretched Époque rpg By The Red Room For The Wretchedverse Rpg Setting & Other OSR Campaign Settings

 "Wretched Époque takes place in the period known as the Belle Époque, which is dated between 1871 and 1914, ending when World War I started."

"This is the time and the fictional place where Umberto Eco’s Simone Simonini – the most cynical and disagreeable character in the History of literature, as the author meant him to be – crosses paths with Jacques Tardi’s Adèle Blanc-Sec, Edgar Allan Poe’s Chevalier Auguste Dupin and Maurice Leblanc’s Arsène Lupin, amidst anarchist bombings, the echoes of the Dreyfus affair, the catastrophic side effects of secret societies conspiring in the shadows and the mysterious results of experiences conducted by mad geniuses. Not yet pulp, not quite historical, it is neither the right time nor the right mood for Steampunk or Dieselpunk, this is the time of Nouveaupunk."

So Wretched Epoque rpg has been in desparate need of a 2nd edition & we got one from the Red Room. And according to the blurb we got a lot more then we bargained for; "In this revised edition, Wretched Époque has transformed from a standalone game into an immersive setting. As such, to fully delve into this world, you will require the Wretched Role-Playing Game core book, an alternative set of OSR rules, or even another type of role-playing game system.

Within these pages, you will find not only a seamless integration of Époque with the new Wretched mechanics, but also an abundance of enriched content. Explore the Belle Époque era across the globe, unravel the intricate web of nefarious adversaries and factions, and discover an array of plot hooks and game mastering hints." Does  the Wretched Époque rpg hold up? We'll The Red Room sent me the pdf file and I sent it on to my printer. Why?! Because for the better part of a year or so I've been working on my own Wretchedverse rpg campaign. More on that another time.

First thing I love the new clarified A.I. art cover which makes the rpg book pop. The Wretched Époque rpg is massive coming in at around 346 pages of Wretchedverse lore. And there's a ton of it and it centers around the pre World War I world. The amount of detail here is massive and well laid out. We get lots of details with old familar Wretchedverse fiends and friends making appearances. And more. Of course Eqoque Paris is the center of the universe and Europe at this time. The layout and presentation is up to Red Room standards. The world of Epoque one of stark contrasts.

Bare in mind that my copy is B/W because it was cheaper and this is a table top copy. Paris and Europe are a powder keg at this time but this is when the good times were rolling before the spectre of WWI destroyed the world scene. The old guard of Europe are in charge. The occult and the supernatural are on the rise and secret societies are out in force. Yet below is the ghosts and horrors of criminals and cut throat gangs like the Apaches.

And it's this world that the players can be a part of in cuts between those stark contrasts. They can profit or become forces of evil within the 'City of Lights' or other parts of Europe. Yet, the Wretched Époque rpg  thrives on it's setting in spades from madmen to mad science the world is ripe for adventure. 

Not only is this world of Sherlock Holmes but the world arch criminals ready to put the PC's heads on a stake to make a point. The Wretched Époque rpg  also thrives on under world manuevers where the vampires and horrors of Paris clash with the powers of the Beyond in the streets of the 'city of lights'. The shadows of the cities of Europe are deep and abiding. They hold horrors both alien and ancient. And it's these themes that make the Wretched Époque rpg  unique among contemporary OSR games. The Wretched Époque rpg  is a well done and well thought out game that does an excellent job of tackling the Epoque era. And it's one that I certainly look forward to gaming in.