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. 

Review & Commentary On 'The Honest and Plain Village of Scio' By G Edward Patterson III For Your Old School & OSR Campaigns

" A picaresque romp through an ordinary town gone bizarre– The Honest and Plain Village of Scio is an OSR adventure mini-setting for low level parties, levels 1-4. Inspired by weird historical primary sources, it takes the players on a journey to the f*cking absurd.

This is an adventure of precarious setups, not scenes. There is no plot, no ending or beginning. Random encounters and events make the Village feel busy and urban, faction events keep the Village from feeling static. "

The Village is part of the Ouaricon setting (Mythic False Oregon) for your Northwest American Fantasy needs. However, it is compatible with most standard medieval fantasy campaigns" 
'The Honest and Plain Village of Scio' By G Edward Patterson III  is one of those rare adventures that isn't really just an adventure but an adventure location unto itself.  'The Honest and Plain Village of Scio' ehoes with certain  Northwest American Fantasy campaigns & is a part of the author's Mythic False Oregon campaign setting. 'The Honest and Plain Village of Scio' clocks in at about seventy three pages of American weirdness that works with just about any OSR style game. 
The village itself seems normal but the more one dives into the NPC's, the background, & the whole cloth of Scio then take far more then a left turn. 
'The Honest and Plain Village of Scio' By G Edward Patterson III is a rare beast in that this adventure location could be run with almost any OSR game. Lamentations of the Flame Princess easily springs to mind here  for 'The Honest and Plain Village of Scio' easily.
Honestly, though 'The Honest and Plain Village of Scio' could easily be adapted to  the Wretched Country or the Wretched Époque Rpg easily. The NPC's, the circumstances of the village, & more all lend themselves to an early American style campaign. 

'The Honest and Plain Village of Scio' could easily be slipped into the back handle of Troll Lord Games Victorious rpg with little effort. Scio' could be a place out of time & circumstance. Why?! Because it's weirdness is a perfect foil for the Victorian & supers of the game. 
Scio & it's surroundings could be used in an early 1800's Nightshift Veterans of the Night Wars rpg campaign as a point of adventure & possible death for PC's. Or something far worse. 
Seriously there's some great stuff that G Edward Patterson III throws into the mix here. At 5.00 dollars for  'The Honest and Plain Village of Scio' this adventure is a steal! 

'The Honest and Plain Village of Scio' By G Edward Patterson III For Your Old School & OSR Campaigns Is Available Right Here !

OSR Review & Commentary On 'In the Mouth of Hell' by Miguel Ribeiro For The Wretched Époque rpg or other OSR Investigative Horror Games set in the Belle Époque

 "On the night of December 8th 1901, British occultist Ambrose Fanshaw was murdered by a Portuguese friend, poet and student of occult lore, Artur Corvelo, while staying in Portugal. Fanshaw was thrown off Boca do Inferno (Mouth of Hell), a steep cliff near Cascais, by his associate Corvelo.

Teodoro Albergaria, the lighthouse keeper of the nearby Santa Marta phare, witnessed the murder and testified in court. Even though Fanshaw's body wasn't found, Corvelo was trialled, convicted of murder and jailed. However, the poet mysteriously vanished from prison two months after being sentenced. The police are flabbergasted by the scholar's vanishing act.
But the real story is a little more convoluted than that..." 

 'In the Mouth of Hell' by Miguel Ribeiro For The  Wretched Époque Rpg is one part investigative horror adventure & one part journey into horror involving none other then Aliester Crowley. The adventure clocks in at thirty five pages of intense investigative horror. The play here is smooth & inventive with an adventure that centers around it's subject matter with a deft hand & one that works with the player's PC's. 'In the Mouth of Hell' is purely a Wretched Époque Rpg adventure taking full advantage of both the system & the ideas within it to give a very intense adventure that is one part historical adventure & one part horror adventure that picks up on its horror swiftly. 

 'In the Mouth of Hell' by Miguel Ribeiro deals with itself like slice of Weird Tales cum history set against the events of the Wretched Époque rpg. Layout & artwork are top drawer. Their up to the Red Room's usual standards. The aventure has some really well drawn out twists & turns. Even though 'In the Mouth of Hell' is only thirty five pages it packs a lot into those pages. 'In the Mouth of Hell' has some deadly edges to it and the PC's need to watch their toes within this one. So having a back up PC or two isn't a bad idea. 

But is 'In the Mouth of Hell' worth the download?! I believe so with an over arching adventure plot that will take several sessions to complete if the party is lucky. Note that 'In the Mouth of Hell' isn't a panty waist adventure, instead this is an adult or mature adventure that lives up the adult title. Not that there's adult themes but that this is a 'thinking man's horror adventure. All in all I really look forward to more adventures such as this one. 

 'In the Mouth of Hell' by Miguel Ribeiro For The  Wretched Époque rpg  Is Available Right Over Here