GURPS In Nomine

Rating:
Summary: Earth is the battleground for Heaven and Hell
Review: "GURPS: In Nomine", the game that proclaims: "Earth is the battleground for Heaven and Hell", allows players of GURPS to make characters that are Angels and Devils.

The plot is very simple - Angels are real, and so are Devils. God created the Universe with the aid of a Symphony - sort of like music that then controls things that go on in the world. Thus by using their own music, Angels, Demons, and even some people, can control parts of the Symphony and turn it to the cause of good - or evil. I must say, as a music fan, the idea of using music to create and manipulate the world appeals to me. This music is then used to influence events - from simple events like whether or not you go to the store today, to much more complex events such as a war. And =both= can cause a ripple effect that can influence the future.

With their almost magical powers and miraculous songs, both Angels and Devils can attempt to manipulate the events on Earth - possibly bringing about Armageddon. But such manipulation can cause a wrong note in the Symphony that can be detected by higher powers. It is only the efforts of other ArchAngels and ArchDemons that keep Ragnarok from occurring today. But there's always tomorrow.

It's yours to decide - do you want to play a fanatic Angel following the cause of light and good by attempting to keep the Symphony in balance, or do you want to play a fallen angel that is trying to regain their position in Heaven, or do you want to try a Demon that creates havoc wherever they go, or something in between? There are rules for creating several types of Celestials or Angels, and Infernals or Devils. You can even play a Corporeal or human, although they have a smaller part to play in this world.

It's loads of fun for players - they can try to use their powers and abilities to influence current events in the game world while trying not to cause dissonance - which would attract the attention of their bosses. And it's a lot of fun for the Game Master - they can look at current events and try to see how those events might have been caused by Angels and Demons fighting on Earth over humans and territory and then try to put that into campaigns.

If you want to try this game, be prepared. Some of the subject matter is very controversial. Some religious people may find the idea of pretending to be an Angel unusual, and the idea of pretending to be a Demon disturbing. However, having said this, I'd like to give this game four out of a possible five stars. I would have given it five had they included more material from the original sources, but interested game masters and players can purchase standard "In Nomine" books and easily convert that information to GURPS. I'd recommend the "Angelic Players Guide", the "Infernals Players Guide", the "Corporeal Players Guide", the "Game Master Guide", and the "Ethereals Players Guide" at least.

"GURPS: In Nomine" is based on the regular version of "In Nomine", which is also published in the US by Steve Jackson Games. "In Nomine" is, in turn, based on an earlier French RPG called "In Nomine Satanis / Magna Veritas" published by Siroz Productions. Try those if your appetite isn't quenched by "GURPS: In Nomine".