Francesca Viganò
Before delving into the analysis of WAR, a PBTA role-playing game written by Iacopo Frigerio, I would like to thank the author for sending us a digital copy of his work so that we can talk about it in this review.
The game can be downloaded for free on the itch.io website in the non-paginated version and without any graphics. Until December 2, 2023, as explained on the site, it will be possible to participate in the membership campaign for the paper copy. By paying €35 it will be possible to book a paper copy, shipping included, as long as a minimum of 25 requests can be reached. Any excess proceeds, minus management costs, will be donated to Amnesty International Italy, and you will be given an official update at the end of the campaign. The author specifies that if 25 bookings are not reached, the fees received will be fully refunded.
The Premises of WAR
WAR is a game with a very strong premise; talks about people, whether they are soldiers, doctors or journalists, in war scenarios in contemporary times. In such a context they will have to face moral dilemmas, balancing between following their interests, duties and orders or empathizing with the oppressed and deciding to help them. The focus of WAR, as we will see in this review, is to follow the characters in the presumed path of personal change during these situations. The game system aims to propose constant pressure towards the moral change of the characters, who will have to decide whether to resist or evolve during the narration of the story.
It is easy to understand how, with these premises, WAR is not a role-playing game suitable for everyone. We will see together whether such important premises are supported by an adequate gaming system and whether the delicacy of the topics covered is addressed with the necessary security systems and the necessary caution, even more so given that it is specified to prefer contemporary and realistic scenarios.
The Characters in WAR
WAR characters can be created easily; by following the steps indicated in the appropriate section, which I briefly summarize here.
First of all, it is necessary to choose the character’s career from the 11 available. Each career allows you to choose the role of the character, thus determining his position and his permission to remain within the war scenario. Each career is associated with a booklet, a summary document that contains all the character’s information and the moves available to him; it is the character sheet.
Characters are defined by four characteristics. The higher the value of the characteristic, the better the character performs in that area.
- Heart: linked to situations in which one puts one’s morals and feelings before duty.
- Young: represents recklessness, youthful impetuosity and impulsiveness.
- Expert: is brought into play when the protagonist brings their experience and skills into play.
- Role: Determines situations in which you act out of a sense of duty, cool-headedness, and follow orders.
However, what makes the protagonists unique are their bonds; it is clear that in a game like this, based on dialogue and strong situations, the relationships between the characters become crucial. Bonds are the mechanical transposition of relationships between characters and those between characters and NPCs. The more ties you have with someone, the greater influence you’ll have on that person; the more there will be a precarious balance of trust between the parties.
WAR Rules Review
The WAR rules are based on the famous Powered by the Apocalypse system, better known as PBTA. If you don’t know it, I can say that, in general, it is a highly narrative game in which, when you need to make a test, you have to declare a move for your character and roll two six-sided dice. At this point, the score of one of the characteristics indicated by the test itself is added. The result reveals the outcome of the test:
- If it is 6 or less, the test is considered failed; this implies negative consequences for the character or the group.
- If it is between 7 and 9, the test is partially passed, thus causing complications.
- With 10 or more the test will be successfully passed without any negative consequences.
Although WAR is a very narrative role-playing game, the figure of a narrator is still foreseen, who takes the name of Warlord. His job is to describe the world and situations to other players. The master never rolls the dice (and the NPCs do not have specific moves), however, he has his own set of rules (called War Moves) that condition the narrative; in fact, these are unexpected events and complicated situations that aim to give greater depth to the narrative.
Acting With and Without Moves
The moves are one of the peculiarities of the PBTA system; a move is a sequence of instructions to follow and execute. Each move is activated when a player creates a specific condition with their choices. At certain points in WAR’s narrative, player descriptions will trigger character moves. Most of the moves involve rolling the dice, as we saw in the summary description of the rules. It is up to the master to signal, especially with a group that does not know the game system, when the description of the characters’ actions involves the activation of a move.
Personally, I think this game system is very free, in some cases, I almost fear that it is too free considering the particularly delicate topics. It’s always good to remember that we’re talking about a game that wants war and its consequences on the table; even more so because it is specified to choose a setting that is intended to be contemporary and realistic. In any case, this can be remedied by clearly explaining to the players what they will face; a full zero session and other precautions can be a good remedy.
The Clock System
One of the most interesting mechanics for managing frenetic situations or with precise timing is that of the Clock; It’s not new in the contemporary gaming scene, but it fits very well into this context.
It consists of drawing a circle divided into segments, which serves to facilitate the master’s task and to convey to the players the impact of timing on the narrative. This mechanic is particularly effective when there is a need to track continuous effort against an obstacle or mark the approach of an imminent danger. This procedure is useful for keeping the pace high and not letting players spend too much time in risky situations.
WAR Aesthetics Review
As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, the author sent us a digital copy of the volume with layout and illustrations. This is the graphic design that will be created if the planned printing objective is achieved. However, I also downloaded a copy of the manual without these aesthetic elements for free for comparison.
Undoubtedly the choice of layout and decorative elements chosen to embellish the final product are perfectly in theme. However, the choice to rely on artificial intelligence for the creation of the images should be noted, examples of which you can find in this review. Considering the themes addressed, I believe that a less realistic style would have helped to make everything a little less strong. This would also have had an impact on the sensations conveyed, so it remains a subjective position.
In any case, the chosen font is perfectly legible; however, the choice to underline some important words with grey risks making the reading a little confusing in my opinion.
WAR Review Conclusions
In conclusion, I can say that WAR starts from premises which, on paper, could be very interesting but which, in my opinion, require an expert and particularly close-knit team to achieve its aim. Perhaps its biggest flaw, given the topics covered and the explicit and crude way in which they are treated, is the lack of an explicit safety system at the table. IT talk about lines and veils in the section dedicated to how to set game themes. The mechanics are similar to those of the clock: on a sheet of paper divided into quadrants you establish what to play, what is acceptable to play and what is best not to face; However, it is not immediately recognizable from the summary and perhaps gets lost a little, along with other advice, between the pages of the manual.. The search for realism and credibility to excess could therefore be dangerous if you are not well aware of what you can face.
On the other hand, this also means that WAR manages to perfectly convey the cruelty of war and all the situations related to it. It’s a tough game, which you can approach knowing that there won’t be too many discounts on the shocking elements that may appear at the gaming table.
