Francesca Viganò
With great pleasure, I am preparing to tackle the review of Wildsea, originally published by Myth Works and localized in Italy by Grumpy Bear Edizioni, who I thank for providing us with a physical copy so I can talk to you about it. I hold a volume with an unusual format and concrete solidity: 370 pages of very high quality with a cover that tells the atmosphere of a game waiting to be discovered. This RPG allows you to play as a crew sailing through a verdant world in missions that can take the most unexpected turns.
If after reading this review you want to purchase the volume, you can find it on the publisher’s website for 60 euros, with the digital copy.
Wildsea Aesthetics Review
Wildsea is original starting from the format: 22×26 cm with a hardback cover, bound with thread. The volume is solid, sturdy and accompanied by a satin bookmark; the detail may seem less important, but it highlights the care taken in creating the product.
The layout is also unusual and non-homogeneous. All the text is mainly divided into three columns; however, happens that a column is occupied by an image or that the two columns on the right are merged into a single one. This measure lets you have narrative elements on the left of the page, very often, highlighted with a larger and bolder font.
The illustrations by (among others) Omercan Cirit, Shmeckerel, and Pierre Demet alone tell the story and drag the reader into a verdant world, at times romantic, and full of dangers. The attention paid to the images is extremely high, providing narrative cues and atmospheres that leave you breathless. I particularly appreciated the creatures and the watercolour features of the environments.
Wildsea, a Captivating Setting
Wildsea has a well-defined setting and character. The volume tells of an event known as The Verdancy which, 300 years ago, covered the world with very rapidly growing vegetation, submerging all the emerged lands under a blanket of fronds and branches, except for the highest peaks. Since then society has changed, adapting to new conditions; the players will face the era of the Wildsailor, people travelling to the Selvapelago aboard special ships designed to sail the sea of branches and branches.
Like our oceans, wild sea layers go very deep and have many layers with different conditions and properties. At the base is the Darkness-Under-Eaves, a place of shadows and ruins of the old world. The Drown is located immediately above and is the place where the branches become thin and the light does not reach. As we rise towards the sky and the light, we can find the Sink, where wrecks remain stranded and the Tangle, where the branches of the wild sea intertwine and insects and penumbra are found. The last layers are made of the Thrash, the highest area of the wild sea, a place of exchange that teems with life; finally, we find the Skies, where the plateaus and mountain peaks with their floating cities are still found.
The characters are Wildsailors who travel between communities, trading and solving problems. Halfway between heroes and pirates, the characters will face discoveries, threats and mysteries among the waves of the Selvapelago.
Seven Species Available for Players
In Wildsea you can choose from seven species to create your character. There are two types of humans, the Ardent and the Ketra. The former are the descendants of those who lived before the Verdality, the latter have deformities due to being trapped in mines and industrial buildings under the trees. Among the non-human species, we find the Ektus, basically fibrous cactoids, the Gau similar to mushrooms, the Ironbound, a type of living construct; closing the choice are the Tzelicrae, insectoids with a hive-like mind spiders and the Mothryn.
Beyond the interesting aesthetics and concept, each species is treated differently. Each offers good variability in character construction, avoiding favouring stereotyped characters. The aesthetics of the illustrations are enough to help the imagination imagine one’s character by providing a good number of examples.
Character’s Creation
Characters in Wildsea can be generated essentially in two ways: with free creation or with quick creation.
Free creation allows you to establish every facet of the character, giving life to something unique and decidedly personal. Appearance, abilities and any other element can be chosen from any lineage, origin and role, but requires some knowledge of the game and its rules.
Quick creation is perfect for those approaching Wildsea for the first time. With this mode, you can create the character by choosing a lineage, an origin and a role from the lists proposed in the manual. Even with rapid creation, it will then be possible to intervene and customize some aspects, for example exchanging one skill with another of greater liking.
Bloodlines, Origins and Posts in Wildsea
As mentioned in this review in Wildsea there are seven Bloodlines to choose from.
There are six available Origins. They range from the Ambered, who have been locked up for centuries in amber prisons, up to the Eradicated, born for life among the foliage and born into the world on a ship.
Posts are closely linked to life on the ship and correspond to the character’s task or at least the type of activity he carries out and for which he is trained. Among the most interesting in my opinion, is the Mesmerist, who delves into the depths of his own and other people’s minds.
The Ship
Another central element of the narrative is the Ship, which is essential for the adventures of the Wildsailors. Characters’ creation means of transport follow precise rules, which identify their characteristics and potential.
This section of the manual helps to introduce a part of the setting that includes the flora and fauna (and consequently a bestiary) of the Selvapelago. Following the routes in the Green Sea, the characters will encounter cultures, habits, customs, languages and religions with which they will have to deal and with whom they will have to interact.
The Wildsea is a living and constantly changing environment and the manual provides countless narrative hooks and storytelling possibilities for the entire gaming group.
Wildsea, Game Rules Review
Wildsea’s gameplay system is decidedly intuitive. The tests correspond to action rolls in the game and are carried out only when there is a risk of failure compared to the character’s intentions. Action rolls are made from a dice pool with a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 6 6-sided dice. Carrying out a test is simple: you roll the reserve and consider the highest result.
The reserve is formed by considering the character’s Edge (equivalent to 1d6), plus his Skill or Language (which can provide up to 3d6), plus any Advantage (which grants up to 2d6).
Rolling a six on at least one die guarantees a triumph, if the result is lower there may be several problems or the action may fail. Rolling a double 6 provides an unexpected result that will have effects determined by the Firefly, the name by which the narrator is called in Wildsea.
Actions, Tracks and Turning Points
If Actions are real tests that the characters carry out during the game, a Track is a graphic representation made up of circles or boxes that are marked to measure the progress of a situation. For example, a Track could be the one needed to repair the ship, or the one to find a route in the Wildsea. It is an instrument not dissimilar to the clocks already seen in the PBTA, but which here take on much broader roles and possibilities.
Perhaps one of the most interesting elements of the game system is represented by the Turns. This is something unexpected, which happens when the result of an Action is a double 6. The effect of a Turn is never decided by the person who rolled it; instead, it is determined by everyone else at the table, including Lucciola. Once again Wildsea rewards the emerging narrative and narrative construction of the table.
The Role of the Firefly
As already mentioned, the Game Master in Wildsea is called Firefly. The manual dedicates a large and detailed chapter to this role in which it explains all the tasks that he must carry out. It becomes clear who leads the game will be: Voice, Threat, Designer, Referee and much more. Don’t worry though, the chapter is absolutely clear and the examples will also help novice Fireflies.
In the same chapter, the core book introduces the concept of session zero and the security tools that can be used during games. One of the most interesting concepts is the Development Questions. This is designed to introduce session zero and can be used as a guideline before playing. This is a list of questions to ask the game group to build the creative space at the table. I think it’s an interesting way to involve players right from the start in a game that makes the emergent narrative a strong point.
The entire chapter dedicated to the Firefly is full of ideas and tools to help her manage the game. Whether a one-shot or a longer adventure.
Wildsea Review Conclusions
To conclude this review, I can say that Wildsea is a wave of verdant freshness. The game mechanics are simple but not simplistic and the variability in character creation is really high. At the heart of this wild game is exploration and travel, and the manual provides plenty of material to start and play with.
From my point of view, Wildsea is a game that needs a close-knit group with good narrative construction skills. The Firefly’s role may seem challenging at first, but the manual offers excellent ideas and a good number of examples. This way you don’t risk losing your way while playing.
If exploring a green sea full of dangers and mysteries intrigues you, if you like peculiar characters and immediate mechanics, then Wildsea is for you!
