The back catalogue of Conspiracy X is vast, over time we will look to review all the fantastic books, supplements and releases that appeared for this great game!
[Review] Sub Rosa – 1st Edition
Read more“Three may keep a secret… if two of them are dead.”
– Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard’s Almanack
While Conspiracy X is best known for its setting focused on humanity’s ongoing struggle against aliens, monsters, and the supernatural, perhaps its most intriguing notion – its diamond hidden in the rough, so to speak – is its exploration into the very concept of ‘conspiracy’ itself. Sub Rosa: The Conspiracy Creation Sourcebook, is the game’s deep dive into this very subject, a supplement that aims to present a theoretical examination of how conspiracies come about, how they are run, and most importantly how they are created within the Conspiracy X ruleset.But just how well does it succeed in this task? Do we get nothing more than a shallow look at the same old tired conspiracies we see in so many other game lines, or will it break the shackles and truly deliver a sourcebook that allows Game Masters to build brand new layers of intrigue into their existing campaigns? Well, dear reader, read on and we shall find out…
[Review] The Hand Unseen – 1st Edition
Read moreLet me tell you again, AEGIS nothing more than a cult and we, I’m afraid to say, have been lied to for far too long…
From its release in early 1996, Conspiracy X had always operated under one simple premise – the player’s characters, as members of a secret conspiracy known as AEGIS – are humanity’s last hope, the final protectors of mankind… the so-called ‘bodyguard of lies’. This book, The Hand Unseen, whips away that veil of half-truths and rumours and simply asks – What if AEGIS aren’t the ‘good guys’ we all believed them to be? What if their approach to the existential threat of extraterrestrial invasion and the rise of supernatural dangerous phenomenon as nothing more than closed-eyed, fear mongering? And if that is all true, then who will stand as the champions all of humanity?That, my dear reader, is why this book exists, to tell you that there is another way, and that a programme for humanity’s salvation is already underway… whether you like it or not!
[Review] Nemesis: The Grey Sourcebook – 1st Edition
Read moreWatch the Skies! For they are ‘The Grey’ and they mean us great harm…
With the successful launch of the Conspiracy X roleplaying game in early 1996, New Millennium Enterprises (the original publishers of game line and the precursors to Eden Studios) quickly realised they were on a winner and had captured an audience wanting to know more of the setting’s mythology and background. Either anticipating this interest or responding rapidly to its demand, Nemesis – The Grey Sourcebook was released a few months later.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.
[Review] Conspiracy X Second Edition Introductory Kit
Read moreProject Bluebook lied to you. They are among us, and they have been here for some time.
Those are the first words to greet the reader of the Conspiracy X (Second Edition) Introductory Game Kit; two short sentences that I suspect convey the core conceit of Eden Studio’s popular roleplaying game of modern-day conspiracy and alien invasion more concisely than perhaps a hundred more paragraphs ever could. They invite the reader into a world of mystery, of lies and intrigue, and hint that maybe… just maybe… they can do something about it.But does the Conspiracy X Second Edition Introductory Game Kit (hereafter noted as simply the Intro Kit) live up to this tempting summons? Does it deliver as a ‘taster’ of things to come, or does it simply leave a foul tang on the tongue? Well, let’s read on and find out…
[Review] Game Master’s Screen – 1st Edition
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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.
[Review] Bodyguard of Lies 3 – Synergy
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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.
[Review] CryptoZoology: Dossier of the Unexplained
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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.
[Review] Conspiracy X Second Edition Core Rulebook
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It seemed logical to start the review entries of this blog covering the book that brought about the rebirth of Conspiracy X in the middle of the 2000s – Conspiracy X 2nd edition. Written and compiled by the ever friendly David F. Chapman (Dave to his friends and fans – see our interview with him here), it not only converts the game into Eden’s Unisystem mechanics, but also blends together material from numerous first edition supplements into a definitive post 9/11 edition.I should warn you, this review is probably different from others you might have read on this game, I say this, as it doesn’t go into the background and premise of Conspiracy X, and nor will it directly compare this edition to the first. Instead it simply focuses on the various elements that I, the reviewer, have found of most interest within its pages – from the good to the not so good.
In the future, we’ll return to this book to look deeper into its contents, as well as examine what elements it brings to the gaming table and how they might be used in play.
