Angel Roleplaying Game: Corebook

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Summary: The Corebook for the "Angel" Role-Playing Game
Review: It might take you a while to notice that this is the "Corebook" for the "Angel" roleplaying game, because fans of the series will be taken by some of the gorgeous graphics on the opening pages and the opening chapter, which translates "Angel's Path" from the television series to the game. While what gamers find here will be compatible with the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" roleplaying game, it is clear that "Angel" has a different flavor. The evil of Los Angeles is decidedly different from what you find in Sunnydale with the Hellmouth. The basic game playing structure is the same, but the characters lean more towards humans and demons than vampires, and understandably so for anyone who watches the show.

Chapter Two is devoted to the Chosen Champions, which lays out a list of archetypes (e.g., Psychic Supermodel, Rogue Demon Hunter), along with the Original Cast: Angel, Cordelia, Wesley, Gunn, Fred, Lorne, Doyle, Kate Lockley, Connor, and the Groosalugg. A section of Seasonal Adjustments covers the first three seasons of the series. Chapter Three, Helping the Helpless covers the game mechanics on how to roll, move, research, and fight. Chapter Four, Arcane Approaches, is all about the magical arts, teaching you how to both cast and create spells. Chapter Five, Cabals, Covens, and Agencies covers the organizations that you will encounter in L.A. Chapter Six, City of Angel lays out the haunts, sights, and suspects of the city as well (including minor allies like Anne Steel and David Nabbit). Chapter Seven, Something Wicked, presents the bad guys, organized by vamps, demons, and others (this is where you find Darla and Drusilla). Chapter Eight, Episodes, Season and Drama are guidelines for Directors on how to create storylines and run games. Chapter Nine, Blood Brothers, is a fleshed-out adventure for the "Angel Roleplaying Game," which does not involve any creating.

The back of the book contains an Appendix that provides a guide to Angelspeak, conversion notes for other Unisystem games, a glossary, character sheets, and other game aids. By this point C. J. Carella has made it very clear that he takes both this game and the television series on which it is based as seriously as the fans, which is exactly what we want. When Carella describes Darla's character motivation as "Pure self-centered evil, return Angelus, be a good mommy (very briefly)" and Drusilla's as "Whimsical nutjob, re-unite the "family," you know he is on target. I have been picking up these Eden Studio volumes because of my devotion to these shows, but I can see where playing one of these games would be a lot of fun as well.

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Summary: Even my wife is interested
Review: My wife and I spent the past couple months watching the first three seasons of Angel on DVD. After we got Season Three finished, I wanted more Angel stuff, so I decided to get the RPG as I like RPGs. The corebook is very good, though only covers up to season three. Hopefully they will soon do a supplemental for it, but it isn't listed on the angel rpg web site yet.

My wife is interested in playing it with me and she is not a RPG fan, but the unisystem that the game uses is very strait forward. The book is well laid out and easy to follow.

I love the Angel quotes that fill almost every page. If you are Weldon fan, or just enjoy Angel and like to game or would like a different take on the Angelverse then this is the book for you.