Alessandro Rocchi
In this review we talk about Dead Air: Seasons, a post-apocalyptic RPG in which humanity will have to survive in a world transformed by the Blight.
The game was created and published by The World Anvil Publishing, and distributed by MS Edizioni. Thank you both for providing us with a physical copy to review. We invite you to follow the publisher’s website, Facebook page and Instagram and join the official Discord server to discover many new projects.
If you want to buy Dead Air: Seasons, you can find it on the official store in physical version + PDF for 60.99$. Otherwise, always on the official store, you will find the digital version for 24.99$.
Dead Air: Seasons Structure and Art Review
The Dead Air: Seasons manual comes in an elegant 16.8×24 cm size with a hardcover. It is very solid, compact and easy to carry around, without sacrificing a font large enough to be readable by everyone.
The product consists of 216 pages divided into 13 conveniently navigable chapters thanks to the index. The writing is simple, allowing a quick and intuitive reading. All this is supported by the correct use of bold and italics to highlight important game terms and steps. Another great support element is the numerous examples present throughout the text, certainly of great help for novice players.
A point in favour is the precise subdivision into paragraphs and sub-paragraphs, each with its specific title. This lets you quickly identify what you want to read and avoid browsing “useless” pages.
From an artistic point of view, the manual is a collectable jewel. The illustrations are masterpieces that best enhance the post-apocalyptic tones that the game wants to give. In addition, the colour palette chosen includes green, black and orange. A choice that makes reading truly enjoyable.
The New World
The setting of Dead Air: Seasons is the real world, but shocked by a virus nicknamed “The Blight”.
This particular virus, in addition to raising the dead (called Awakened), has also allowed a massive and uncontrolled development of nature. In this way the characters (the Survivors) face the problem of being strangers to their own homes and this will lead to very interesting game situations.
In addition, this narrative hook allows the Master of the Blight (MB, the Narrator in Dead Air: Seasons) and the game group to have great freedom on where to set the sessions. One could bring to the table some place close to one’s home but imagine that a stream has grown rapidly becoming a river and changing the landscape. This is just one example, but there are many other ways in which the Blight can intervene. The manual provides many suggestions and examples to outline the evolutions of the world.
In the manual, we also find a large set of opponents and creatures of the Blight that the PCs could encounter. In addition to the classic bandits, animals and natural dangers, we can find many creatures originated by the Blight, from the most canonical Awakened to the most powerful Juggernauts. Other interesting creatures are the Chimeras, beasts mutated by the plague. Among them, I particularly appreciated the Crimson Wolf, larger than the well-known animal and with a coat of hard oak instead of fur.
Community and Region
A key aspect of Dead Air: Seasons is the Community, therefore the social group in which the PCs live.
The Community is a real character that lives, evolves and changes during the game campaign. He will possess his own Descriptors (short phrases that represent abilities and possessions) and Gifts (special activatable abilities). In addition, an interesting mechanic is represented by the Support NPCs. They are prominent characters who can have Attributes and Descriptors. The interesting part is that they can also be interpreted by the Players at particular times.
Another focal point is the Region, that is, the geographical place where the adventures will take place. As an area, the manual recommends a large enough one, so that it can potentially host a long campaign. The suggestion is to divide it into Sectors, in this way, players will explore it hand by hand without putting too much meat on the fire.
The Region, Sectors and Communities must be created together during Session 0, to make everything more coherent and immersive. For this reason the manual provides various suggestions on how to complete this operation.
Crises, Seasons and Campaign Setting
The focus of Dead Air: Seasons is, in fact, the Seasons.
Each campaign is divided into Seasons, which are in turn divided into Crises. The latter are the adventures that PCs face firsthand; they can be dangers to the Community (such as a rival gang) or opportunities (such as recovering a large amount of resources). Based on how the Crisis is concluded, the group will have to fill in a number of Event Counter sections out of the total six.
When the last one is reached, it means that a Season has ended. In terms of play, time passes and the Blight manifests its effects, including new contaminations or real changes in the territory. This mechanic is very interesting because it allows you to play campaigns over very long time frames and observe the evolution of the Community and the PGs. The manual provides many examples and tips on how to create Crises and manage the Seasons and the progress of time.
All this mechanism is excellent for carrying out long and intense campaigns, allowing you to explore ties and relationships. Precisely for this reason, Dead Air: Seasons is a game that gives its best in the long run and not in one-shots, where a good part of the mechanics, for reasons of time, cannot be explored.
Dead Air: Seasons Rules Review
Dead Air: Seasons bases its regulation on the Monad Echo, the game engine already used in Broken Tales (which we have already reviewed).
The Monad Echo is a really quick and simple system, being mainly based on storytelling and fiction first.
When a PG wants to perform an action that could fail in an interesting way, a Position Check will be required. The Player will have to achieve many Successes to equalise or exceed the Opposition Level (OL) decided by the MP.
These Successes can be achieved using Attribute values, PG characteristics, or Soma, a limited resource that can be spent to earn a Success or activate Gifts.
Another way to accumulate Successes is to roll the dice, each of which corresponds to a Success; however, the downside is that if even just the result of a die is 1, all the action will be a Failure. There are three degrees of Outcome:
- Standard: the action succeeds without problems.
- With a Cost: to carry out the action the PG will have to pay a Cost.
- With an Increment: In addition to the success of the action, the PG will have a significant Advantage.
When a PC wants to defend itself, it must carry out a Defense Check that works in the same way as the Position ones.
In short, at the base, we find a very simple and effective system, perfect for both novices and experts.
The Playing Characters
In the game, we will play the Survivors who are part of the Community.
The possibilities for creation are truly vast. You can play the leader of the Community, the scientist, the mechanic and much more.
Each character is distinguished by four Thematic Descriptors that encapsulate their story and abilities. Each of them is a short sentence that must be formulated as if the character were saying it in the first person; in the manual, we find many questions and suggestions on how to create and set them. A peculiarity is that each Descriptor is associated with a Reverse Side of the Medal, that is, a negative aspect that can cause problems for the Character. If the Downside is brought into play, experience points can be earned.
Another central element is the Archetypes or labels that are used to consistently describe the PC. During the creation phase, each character will be able to choose two Archetypes from the 8 available. Some examples are Skilled, Expert, Criminal, Leader and much more. The many possible combinations make it possible to create truly interesting and different Survivors.
In addition, Archetypes are important because they allow access to a list of exclusive Gifts that will be essential to survival.
Finally, the Bonds are mechanically and narratively very important, since they connect the PCs with both the group and the Community.
The Barter Points and Scavenging
Being a very narrative system, in Dead Air: Seasons we do not find an inventory in the classic sense. Instead, we have Equipment Slots. These are spaces on the card that the Player can mark to bring an object useful to the situation into play. The number of slots is determined by the character’s Readiness Level; it is divided into 3 grades: Ready, Advanced and Apocalyptic. Depending on the Readiness Level, a character will be able to carry more items, but of course, the size will be greater.
This system allows you to generate objects and game opportunities very quickly, simplifying equipment management.
Once spent, the slots can obviously no longer be used, but they can be recovered in two ways: by returning to the Community or with the Barter Points. Thelatter are a very important currency in the game economy; in addition to recovering Equipment Slots, they also allow you to raise the Equipment Level or donate bonuses if returned to the Community.
Barter Points are earned through the group action of Scavenge. This is a particular Check in which the whole group participates, covering different roles (Reapers and Watchmen). Depending on the outcome, you can obtain Barter Points but also generate adversities that will affect the PCs.
Dead Air: Seasons therefore features an excellent equipment management system that supports and benefits the narrative.
Conclusions of Dead Air: Seasons Review
To conclude this review, I can say that Dead Air: Seasons is a great title for all lovers of the zombie and post-apocalyptic genre who are looking for a breath of fresh air when it comes to the setting and mechanics.
In fact, we find a simple system, suitable for both novices and veterans, which blends perfectly with the setting. Even the truly evocative and impactful artistic side helps make the product a must-have in the genre. The only drawback is that the game gives its maximum in the long term, having many mechanics suitable for campaigns rather than one shot.
In short, I recommend Dead Air: Seasons to anyone who loves this genre and wants to bring long-term campaigns. With this manual, you will find the perfect product!
