Casting Shadows

Like members of Recon thawed out and set for surveillance of all that has changed since the Morrow Project went underground and under ice, the Pre-release of the new 4th Edition rules has gone out into the world today. As a satisfied member of a very well-conducted (almost military) Kickstarter campaign, I am among those with a PDF copy of the new rules set. Since leaving work this evening, I have been cheerfully discovering all the changes, enhancements, clarifications, and general goodness of this well-written and tidily presented core book, and it keeps making me smile and imagine my old friends in certain roles, while seeming to satisfy (so far at least, pre personal play test) a lot of cravings I have been having for a game that takes its  human characters and all the things which they can do and have done to them very seriously.

Changes?

As I made my way into the rules I realized how little I actually remember of the version I played so very long ago. I had thought to do a point by point comparison at one stage, but I think that will be completely out unless an embedded psionic helps me out. Not much chance of that, I am afraid. Instead, I will focus on getting ready to run the game. I am not one to review games that I have not played, so there will be no giddy praise of how I think the game will play based on how it reads. I am about half-way through the rules as I type this, and am finding it an interesting mix of clever, fun, streamlined, and crunchy. How that will all play out when the dice hit the table remains to be seen. Over the next few weeks, until a test can be run, I will focus on the following things in subsequent posts:

• Building Characters and linking them to a campaign concept
• Understanding tests, challenges, and combat; and planning appropriately
• Equipment, Memory, and the unfriendly passing of time

Later, as we get closer to a very special one-shot I have planned for August, I will get into detail about my own campaign setting, followed up with how that one-shot went, and ultimately – a review.

The PDF

The pre-release PDF at a fast read seems well-edited, cleanly and clearly written, and has a no-nonsense layout with clear fonts, and the appearance of an in-game Morrow Project Document. It is a 328 page monster detailing the background, feel of the game, the mission, character generation, the system and its supporting information such as skills and gear, gear, and more gear, plus challenges to confront. Methodology for setting up encounters is laid out, as are post-apocalyptic economics. A sample scenario is presented, along with sample characters used throughout the book as examples. In addition, the book also contains conversion information for 3rd Ed characters. All this and more for just under $10,000…

How Much?

One of the additional fun things about this PDF was that when I initially logged in to retrieve my copy of the rules, it listed the price as $9,999. Sticker shock equivalent to an atomic detonation, right? With a deft application of a secret code, I was able to defeat this horribly mutated price however and retrieve my prize. Keyboard warrior extraordinaire; price slayer. I left the complex, tome loaded in memory, thinking of Max, Bruce Morrow, departed friends, and a future we can make bright – if we are good enough.

Related articles

• A Project for the Morrow from Casting Shadows (runeslinger.wordpress.com)