One of the pleasures I have as an ‘archivist’ of some pretty cool, albeit it Out-Of-Print, roleplaying games (see www.stormbringerrpg.com and www.darkconspiracytherpg.info for other sites I run) is the opportunity to interview the creative forces behind the products that now line my (overburdened) shelves. Over the years I’ve interviewed plenty of gamers who have given their time and effort to chat with me about the creation and history of various games and products, but few has given me as much pleasure as this interview with Alex Jurkat – one of Eden’s Studio’s founding editors. Please read on to hear about how Eden rose would rise to become one of the leading lights of tabletop gaming in the late 90s and early 2000s – from saving Conspiracy X from what could have been a very fatal false start, through to the arrival of the Unisystem mechanics and the publication of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG….
Category: Conspiracy X Page 2 of 3
It seems quite odd to be reviewing a Game Master’s Screen, but the reality is that I’m not so much reviewing the screen, rather than the 48-page booklet that is bundled within this package. To compound this confusion, the fact the core part of the package is a scenario that focused on the paranormal, rather than the Extra-terrestrial aspects (which I normally prefer), of the Conspiracy X setting, it initially worried me that I wouldn’t do this supplement the justice it deserves.
So, did I like the screen, the scenario and everything else that came with the Conspiracy X 1st Edition Game Master’s supplement? Read on, dear friend, and you will find out!
Please note, this review is written with the assumption that the reader is already familiar with the setting of the Conspiracy X RPG (or Con X as it is often abbreviated). For those of you reading this review who may not be so familiar with the themes of this game, the one sentence summary would be – in Con X the players take on the roles of agents within Aegis, a clandestine organization tasked with hiding the truth of aliens, monsters and the supernatural from the fragile minds of humanity. Yes, yes, think X-Files, but an X-Files where you are the Smoking Man rather than Fox or Mulder.
This review continues my series of looking back on the various books, supplements and publications that have been released for Conspiracy X over the years, and in the processes looking at what insights this – once extremely popular – roleplaying game might reveal to us here in the 2020s.
The development of this scenario has a long and (un)interesting story, with its genesis arising during a holiday break with my family and it being changed, chopped-up and rewritten numerous times in the years since. What you find below is the final version, one I feel brings the core elements of a story to life without belabouring the point – a demonstration of how even the most humanitarian of deeds comes with consequences in the setting like Conspiracy X. Of course, while at its heart No Good Deed is a pretty simple and straightforward investigative adventure (the longest by word count – at 14,000 – that I’ve written for Conspiracy X) I just know that conspiracy-horror fans will get a kick out of playing it. I do hope you enjoy!
No Good Deed
NO GOOD DEED is an investigative scenario that will throw an unsuspecting AEGIS Cell into a race against time. From a seemingly straightforward police shooting through to experiments with Saurian DNA, as the old saying goes ‘no good deed ever goes unpunished’.
Designed to introduce new players to the world of Conspiracy X. It should take no more than a few hours to complete, but this could be extended by both the players actions and the Chronicler’s desire to explore some of the key plot points further.
A long time in the making, I need to thank the following for being my guinea-pigs… I mean playtesters… of this scenario as it went through its various iterations – Darryn Mercer, Mark Chiddicks, Julia Blackmore, Marcus Gustafson, Garth Allen, Dan Woodhouse, Angela Whiteman, Hamish Gaundan, and Roger Awhimate.
It’s been way too long, but I thought I’d return to my rambling evaluation of the Conspiracy X line with one of the game’s lesser known publications – Bodyguard of Lies 3 – Synergy. And yes, because I like to be contrary, I thought I’d leap right into the third book of the series…
This review is written with the assumption that the reader is already familiar with the setting and themes of the Conspiracy X RPG (or Con X as it is often abbreviated). For those of you reading this review who may not be so educated, the one sentence summary of this game would be – in Con X the players take on the roles of agents within Aegis, a clandestine organization tasked with hiding the truth of aliens, monsters and the supernatural from the fragile minds of humanity.
For those who do not know, the Bodyguard of Lies (BoL) was a series of three supplements released during 1998 and 99 by Eden Studios to support the 1st edition of Conspiracy X. Designed as part magazine, part splatbook, I get the impression they were aimed at maintaining the interest in the game line while longer, more traditional, game supplements were being written. This format also provided an opportunity to explore subjects, and provide scenarios, that were either too brief, or perhaps too tangential, to the core Con X setting to warrant their own dedicated release. These days I’d imagine such material might well appear on publisher’s website as a freebie or as a quick and easy PDF release via Drivethrurpg, so seeing these articles and adventures in physical print format is quite cool (even I do have some reservations on the form factor of the books).
Now, I can only speak for myself, but I missed the original publication of all three issues of BoL, which seems strange, especially given my interest in conspiracy and horror gaming. I do, however, wonder if my personal overlooking of this line may well be a pointer as to why only 3 books were released? In any case it’s a shame we didn’t see more of these, especially – as I note later – there seemed more material awaiting the wings.
So, I’ll be honest, I’m not a big fan of mixing my cryptids with my aliens. Sure, the X-Files did it with their ‘Monster of the Week’ style offerings, but I like my extraterrestrials and Jersey Devils to stay in their own sandpits, thank you very much! It was therefore with some trepidation that I unsealed my (long unopened) copy of CryptoZoology: Dossier of the Unexplained for Conspiracy X First Edition.
A Note – This review is written with the assumption that the reader is familiar with the setting and themes of the Conspiracy X RPG (or Con X as it is often abbreviated). For those of you who don’t, the one sentence summary would be – in Con X the players take on the roles of agents within a clandestine organization (known as Aegis) and are tasked with hiding the truth of aliens – and the like – from humanity.