If you decide to import Essence into a cinematic game, make sure that either all supernatural powers have an Essence cost, or that those that need Essence have a point cost break - otherwise, the characters with Essence-dependent powers will be completely overshadowed by the Success Level-only characters. In my experience, it works best to ditch the Buffy/Angel supernatural Qualities (except for Slayer and Robot, which work very well, strangely enough) and import their WitchCraft/Armageddon equivalents. It's still possible to do the multitudes-of-demons setting with Cinematic combat maneuvers, skills and damage while using Essence-based Metaphysics.
Note that for most Eden products, page count is a bit misleading. The classic Unisystem books are 7 1/2" x 9 1/2" rather than the traditional 8 1/2" x 11".
C.J. Carella's WitchCraft
WitchCraft Corebook
WitchCraft Chronicler's Screen
Mystery Codex
Abomination Codex
Power & Privilege - The Rosicrucians
The Book of Hod
Armageddon: The End Times
Armageddon Corebook
All Flesh Must Be Eaten
AFMBE Revised Corebook
Enter the Zombie
Pulp Zombies
Fistful o' Zombies
Dungeons and Zombies
One of the Living
Terra Primate
Terra Primate Corebook
Conspiracy X 2.0
Conspiracy X 2.0 Corebook
Eden Studios Presents
Eden Studios Presents volume 1
Eden Studios Presents volume 2
In many ways, C.J. Carella's WitchCraft is the flagship game line for Eden Studios. The first edition of the game was printed in 1996 by now-defunct Myrmidon Press, and the first Unisystem book printed by Eden Studios was the WitchCraft supplement Mystery Codex. Both Mystery Codex and the WitchCraft Corebook are out of print at the moment, but both are available as PDFs, and rumor has it we'll see reprints of both shortly.
According to the promotional text, WitchCraft is a game of "magic and dark secrets." That doesn't really tell you much, though. Basically, WitchCraft is an outstanding framework for modern supernatural games that manages to incorporate ideas from: all kinds of horror movies; authors ranging from Stephen King to H.P. Lovecraft to Clive Barker to C.S. Lewis; Zoroastrian, Hindu, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim theology; classical mythology from around the world; and neopagan beliefs, all seamlessly integrated. The downside to this is that nobody will be completely happy with how their religion is portrayed (except maybe Wiccans - nominally they're focus of the game), but at least everyone gets a fair bite at the apple and it's easy to adjust things. There's even a disclaimer emphasizing the fictiveness of the game setting, just in case there was any doubt.
The game is not without its flaws - while the cover art is gorgeous, the interior art is almost without exception atrocious. There's a palpable attempt to ramp up the "adultness" of the game's themes with surreal and disturbing art, but it mostly falls flat. Additionally, the text can be very preachy on all matters from sexism and racism to religion and philosophy. It gets irritating.
The WitchCraft Corebook introduces the core rules for classic (or "full") Unisystem, and begins to describe the game's cosmology. The core rules allow characters to be mundane (i.e. nonmagical) humans, "Gifted" magic-users, or Bast - intelligent magical cats. Characters are assumed to belong to one of several major organizations, called covenants, which begin to define the characters' contacts, training, and supernatural powers. Covenant membership isn't mandatory, however. Independent characters (called Solitaires) are just as viable. The covenants in this book are the Wicce, the Rosicrucians, the Cabal of Psyche, the Twilight Order, and the Sentinels.
WitchCraft features not one but several magic systems - each reflects a different set of powers with a unique source, but all are tied into the core Essence system. None are quite like the base magic system from the cinematic games (called "Ritualism" when you get into comparisons like this), but for cross compatibility I'll refer you to the appendix of The Magic Box. The corebook includes Magic (also called Invoking), the Sight (also called Psionics or Seer Powers), Necromancy, and Divine Inspiration. Each functions differently, both mechanically and in-setting.
As far as the setting goes, WitchCraft is set in a multiverse of astonishing size, inspired by the Sephira of the kabbalistic Tree of Life. Everything within Creation is made of Essence - a combination of fundamental unit of energy and ultimate subatomic particle, Essence is the building material of reality. The Seraphim (angels and demons) and Titans (gods from old pantheons) are separate but about equally powerful orders of being, but rarely encountered on Malkuth (Earth's dimension). Despite their great strength, however, they lack humanity's capacity to grow and change, and most importantly to become Gifted and directly manipulate Essence. In many ways the game is focused on the maximization of human potential. There are shortcuts that humans can take to gain mystical might (like becoming Vampyres), but by doing so they cut themselves off from the cycle of reincarnation and can no longer develop the most powerful abilities. And to make matters worse, creatures from outside our reality (the Mad Gods) keep trying to push their way in, and the very structure of their existence (Taint) is anithetical to Essence, and the reaction of the two is something akin to matter and antimatter. Not fun to be near. Also, just for good measure there's an ancient global conspiracy called the Combine meddling in things.
Steal This: If you replace Ritualism entirely, between Invoking and Necromancy you have a great substitute. For a simpler addition, the covenants make excellent secret societies, especially the Rosicrucians and the Cabal (again, see the Appendix in The Magic Box). One of the best ideas from the Corebook, though, is the Bast race. Playing a magical cat may seem silly at first, but it's an excellent and creative choice for a low-key non-human character, and for higher-powered games some Bast can shapeshift into humanoids.
The screen itself, while visually impressive, won't be too helpful for the Director of a cinematic game - the included tables are all wrong. The booklet that comes with the screen has some good essays full of tips and tricks for running a horror-based campaign. The included adventure is also generic enough to work in any modern supernatural game.
Steal This: If you want to set a campaign on a college campus, the setting and maps provided in the sample scenario are an excellent choice.
The Mystery Codex was the first supplement for WitchCraft, and a good chunk of it consists of rule addenda and clarifications to convert the Myrmidon Press first edition to the Eden Studios second edition. As such, many of the sidebars will be of no use to people who already own the current version of WitchCraft. I think the cover to this book is my favorite piece of art from an Eden Studios book (although the cover to the WitchCraft Corebook is a close second. Mystery Codex doesn't have as much general utility as the Corebook, but it touches on (and expands upon) a lot of important ideas from the setting.
There are four new character "races" presented in this book. The Vampyres are, of course, the setting's take on vampires. The rules cover not just blood-suckers, but a wide range of creatures, all of which feed on a victim's Essence (though in a range of different ways). The Relentless Dead are the unstoppable psychopath monsters of 80's slasher films (Jason Voorhees is pretty much the archetype). Ghosts and Phantasms are two versions of undead spirits; while the latter have flashier abilities, and can even take solid form again, the former can potentially become ridiculously powerful Haunts. (There's that theme again, of sacrificing long-term power for a short-term gain.)
Mystery Codex introduces two new Metaphysical Arts: Disciplines of the Flesh are shapeshifting abilities developed by people scarred by trauma, while Tao Chi is a generic mystical martial art. We also meet four covenants, the Pariahs, the Fellowship of Judas (Iscariots), the House of Thanatos, and the Storm Dragons. Really there's just a lot of juicy stuff to read through, including a quick tour of the Death Realm of Geburah.
Steal This: Disciplines of the Flesh would be an excellent addition to a cinematic game, as would the Iscariots and the House of Thanatos. If you use Essence-based Invocations and Necromancy, the new Invocations and expandend Necromantic Paths are worth the price of admission. I'm not too keen on the Pariahs as an organization, or the Storm Dragons and Tao Chi, but they're easy to convert as well. As usual, take a look at The Magic Box Appendix. Eden Studios Presents volume 2 has an article converting Vampyres to cinematic rules.
The Relentless Dead are easy to lift out for a cinematic game. Their powers convert easily, and they fit the mood nicely - a little bit of a one-track mind, and they can easily overpower other character types if the Director doesn't keep a tight rein on things, but they'd make just as good Cast Members as they would villains. Spirit powers and vulnerabilities convert nicely too. The sneak peek at Geburah is excellent, and is a good start for portraying the lands of the dead.
In some ways the Abomination Codex tries a little too hard. It rounds out some areas that needed exploring, and has a lot of excellent setting additions and rules, but it's much harder to integrate the elements into an ongoing game.
As expected, we get a couple new character types: Ferals are the WitchCraft werebeasts, while True Immortals simultaneously give us the remnants of the Atlantean civilization and Highlander-style swordplay. The True Immortals get their own Art, too: the Atlantean Arcana (which is similar to Superscience and Enchanting). The Codex also introduces the Keys of Solomon, a higher form of magic, and Taint Powers, for what happens when people are exposed to the Mad Gods and learn to fight back using their own anti-Essence against them. The real gem of the book, to me, is the chapter on Spirit Patrons. It's the perfect tool for creating a character whose abilities come from without, and exist only at the whim of some higher power. Almost any ability could be granted by a Spirit Patron, and the rules allow it to be either a blessing or a curse.
As for covenants, we get the Nomads (Feral bikers), the Knights Templar (James Bond-ish agents with access to the Keys of Solomon), the Lodge of the Undying (primarily for True Immortals, but rarely other long-lived types can join), the Covenant of Legba (Voodoo!) and the Mockers (Tainted folks with their own way of dealing with the madness).
Steal This: Where to start? Well, Spirit Patrons. The rules don't even need changing. The Familiar Quality is easy to port across, too - it binds a spirit of some sort to the character (not just a strange animal like in other games). You need to tweak the True Immortals in an Essenceless game, and be wary of their potential for high power levels. Most of the covenants work well too. The biggest problem that arises in trying to convert things from the Abomination Codex is that if you try to take too much, your game can choke. It's an all-you-can-eat buffet of Unisystem goodness - just don't overdo it. The different associations are nice too, especially the Templars.
I was very disappointed with the Rosicrucians when I first read through WitchCraft. They seemed so generically bland and uninspired: a patriarchical group of magicians to counterbalance the semi-feminist Wicce who were so prominent in the Corebook. Not automatically villains, exactly, but definitely not cast as The Heroes. I yawned a lot.
Power & Privilege - The Rosicrucians changed my mind, and now I think the Rosies are one of the most interesting associations in the game. This book is very rules-light; in fact, aside from a sidebar or two, it's all flavor information. This is a turnoff for some people, but I found it fascinating. Since the Rosicrucians are a very hierarchical group, the book spends a lot of time analyzing their structure, entry requirements, rituals and traditions. It details many of the factions and cabals within what seemed at first to be a monolithic organization, and describes the historical details behind their development. There is even a small group of anti-Rosicrucians, the Sere Rose, to churn things up more.
Steal This: All of it. Even if you don't feel like making the Brotherhood of the Rose Cross a major protagonist (or antagonist) in your campaign, the information in this book would let you flesh them out as a believeable background detail. Even if you don't want to use the Rosicrucian name, you get the structure and style to flesh out other ancient occult groups (like, say, the Watchers).
The WitchCraft/Armageddon cosmology is loosely based on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. Each Sephiroth is a different "Otherworld" that characters can visit: Malkuth is Earth, for instance, and Geburah is the Land of the Dead. Hod is the realm of dreams, and The Book of Hod is basically a visitor's guide.
Hod is broken down into a series of metaphysical regions. The tour starts with the Periphery (where sleepers' astral selves go when they dream) and moving on to the First World (the "prototype" for Malkuth), Akasha (where all of history is recorded, and where all those psychic visions come from), the Plane of Ideas (where inspiration comes from), and the Coma Kingdoms (where sleepers go if they can't wake up). Each area's nature and mystic geography is explained in detail, along with its inhabitants.
The Book of Hod introduces five new covenants: the Society of Assassins (the original assassins), the Ghost Dancers (American Indian nationalists), the Shambala Order (Tibetan monks in hiding), the Wizards of Oz (Australians exploring the First World), and Apoanu Apyabaiba (Amazonian traditionalist shamans). Each group has their own selection of metaphysics, with entirely new arts introduced for the Shambala monks (they require the Enlightenment Quality from this book or Armageddon) and a Lucid Dreaming skill for shamans.
Steal This: The Book of Hod is like a spice rack: you won't want to put every single bit in every game, but used judiciously it can really enhance your campaign. The new covenants have a variety of themes, like the Assassins who train Matrix-like in the Garden of Earthly Delights, and the South American ecoterrorist Apoanu Apyabaiba movement. Most interesting though is the Lucid Dreaming skill, which allows characters to exert control over their dreams. It requires next to no tweaking to become Wild Card (Lucid Dreaming), and is particularly useful if you like having Restless-style sessions. The wide range of Nature Spirits and Ethereals can help populate such a game.
In WitchCraft there are a lot of references to an impending supernatural cataclysm - a Reckoning. Armageddon is the story of that Reckoning. It takes place in the future of the WitchCraft setting (the Carellaverse?), and is basically the same character types on a bigger scale, with bigger consequences.
It turns out the final battle won't be between demons and angels, but between the forces of our reality and an intruding Mad God called Leviathan. Its cult, the Church of Revelations, controls most of Europe, and the rest of the world, along with the legions of hell, the armies of heaven, and the pantheons of old gods are allied against it. Angels clash with twisted monsters in the skies over Rome, while Tainted infiltrators begin to subvert the last bastions of humanity. All the while, Leviathan is trying to manifest itself.
Since Armageddon is a possible future for the WitchCraft setting, the two games share the same general cosmology, and all the creatures from WitchCraft can be found here. In fact, the WitchCraft supplements contain notes for use in Armageddon.
The Armageddon Corebook is chock full of new Unisystem material. It contains a lot of the mechanical material from the WitchCraft Corebook, and repeats the general game system, but it also introduces a lot of new character types. First, there are the Seraphim. Angels and demons, both transplanar beings in the upper Sephira and exiles wandering Earth. Then there are the Kerubim and their demonic counterparts the Qliphonim, who are humans who have been raised up to the (lower) ranks of the Heavenly Host or the Infernal Legion. Then there are the Nephilim, the offspring of humans and Seraphim, who are immune to Essence-based attacks and regenerate damage quickly. There are the primal Old Gods, represented by their Avatars, Inheritors (partially mortal offspring) and Incarnates (young Old Gods). There are also numerous Qualities and Drawbacks to represent what it's like to have Leviathan as a Spirit Patron (hint: it's not fun).
Invoking, Necromancy, Divine Inspiration, the Sight, Spirit Patrons and Atlantean Arcana are repeated, but oddly Disciplines of the Flesh and Taint Powers aren't. We also get introduced to Seraphim powers (called Theophanies) and the Primal Powers of the Old Gods. True Immortals are back too.
Steal This: The Primal Powers and Theophanies can be lifted out, stripped of their Essence references, and turned into demonic powers easily. Thus, you can put Seraphim and all the rest in your cinematic game with no problem. In fact, the only character type that doesn't make a lot of sense to port over is the Nephilim, only because its powers are so closely tied to the Essence-based setting. The covenants of Armageddon (the Alliance, Heavenly Host, Infernal Legion, Pantheons, and Watchers) don't convert too well outside of a full-scale supernatural war, but the idea of cell-based resistance fighting is hard to pass up.
All Flesh Must Be Eaten is Eden's most popular (non-licensed) game line, and is the one with the most supplements. It uses the same Unisystem rules framework as WitchCraft and Armageddon, but it doesn't share their setting. Basically, this is where their non-canonical supplements see the light of day. AFMBE is a game of "zombie survival horror," and provides rules that can be used in any number of settings. Short sample settings, called "Deadworlds," are found in most of the books.
Most of the mechanical material in All Flesh Must Be Eaten is recycled from the other game lines, but it's repackaged with a lot of style. Additionally, it isn't just for zombies - the zombie creation rules can be used to design any kind of supernatural monster. (If you have the Angel Corebook this is less than an impressive claim, though, seeing as the demon rules are a little more flexible.)
What really sets AFMBE apart is the supplements. This is really the generic Unisystem game line, and its supplements are loaded with material to emulate all kinds of different genres. The walking dead are just window dressing.
I've only reviewed the AFMBE products that I own. In addition to the ones below, you can also get the Zombie Master's Screen, Enter the Zombie, The Book of Archetypes 1, The Book of Archetypes 2, Atlas of the Walking Dead, Little Town of Hamlin, Zombie Smackdown!, and One of the Living. There are a few more pending publications, and a trio of fiction anthologies. Lots of zombie stuff out there.
The All Flesh Must Be Eaten Corebook presents the basic rules for playing a Unisystem game. If you've been paying attention, you're probably well aware that this is exactly the same as in the above games. You get the basic rules for making human characters (no supernatural types in the corebook) of varying strength. The only magic users included are the Inspired. Like WitchCraft characters, they are required to purchase the Gift in addition to Divine Inspiration, so cost-wise they are compatible. Ultimately, though, AFMBE characters are lower-powered than their WitchCraft counterparts, so if you combine archetypes be prepared for some disparity.
The Deadworlds are interesting, each introducing zombies in its own way. Some of the more creative ones are "Mein Zombies," postulating a last ditch effort by the Nazis to repel the Allies with the walking dead, and "Dawn of the Zombie Lords," which features powerful necromancers warring with legions of undead troops. Additionally, the "Dawn of the Walking Dead," which is the most traditional (i.e. Romeroesque) Deadworld, has NPC write-ups for zombie cows.
All Flesh Must Be Eaten is rounded out by rules to make (and customize) zombies, and in the revised book there is a chapter giving some fairly detailed conversion rules to d20 Modern.
Steal This: Zombie. Cows.
Some of the unique Qualities and Drawbacks, like Multiple Identities, are very nice. Also, the archetypes would need a little converting, but would fit in a Buffy game. Most of them are the stereotypical regular-people-caught-up-in-strange-events types. Many of the zombie aspects could be added to the Demon power list: the Spreading the Love rules for infecting others, the Weak Spot rules, and the Noxious Odor, Acid Blood, and Detachable Limbs Powers don't have any cinematic antecedants, as far as I'm aware. Plus, there are the Deadworlds in case you're out of story ideas.
Finally, you could do worse than the d20 Modern conversion rules. It focuses mostly on converting Unisystem material to d20, but there are enough guidelines going the other direction that you can raid material from the endless stack of d20 products as well as the d20 System Reference Document (both fantasy and modern varieties.)
Coming Soon...
For most people, the term "pulp" is a pejorative, dredging up thoughts of clichéd plots, corny dialogue, and pointless action sequences. For gamers, however, "pulp" is an ideal, conjuring images of clichéd plots, corny dialogue, and pointless action sequences. Pulp Zombies games are set in an ambiguous period sometime between the start of the Great Depression and the end of World War II. Airplanes are still new-fangled and untrustworthy inventions. Only the wealthiest have telephones. You can buy a new house for $2500. A different era all around. In addition to the paranormal stuff, the book's first chapter gives an overview of life in this period, complete with lists of prices, important organizations and events.
Characters in Pulp Zombies can be gritty detectives, daring explorers, and creepy occultists without breaking the mood. This book introduces the core Seer Powers rules to AFMBE (here called Mentalism) so you can also introduce psychic superheroes like the Shadow. The really juicy part of Pulp Zombies, though, is the chapter on Gadgets. It's a great set of rules for designing high-tech (or mystical) devices, and you get better guidelines than for Superscience/Enchanting in The Magic Box.
The Deadworlds are nifty, inspired by classic stories by H.G. Wells, Arthur Conan Doyle, H.P. Lovecraft, and many others.
Steal This: The Gadget rules are a given, as are the new Qualities and Drawbacks Danger Sense, Animal Companion, Force of Law, and Trademark. Some of the ideas in the Deadworlds are very borrowable, like the Martians from "They Want Our Women" and Zaxor, the Pinnacle of Humanity from "Zombies, Inc." In the end, though, I gotta go back to the Gadget rules.
Fistful o' Zombies is the Western genre book for AFMBE. It begins with an overview of the Old West, with more emphasis on realistic details of the period. In addition to the basics you'd expect (like price lists, jargon, and history) there's a section with new rules for fanning a revolver, lassos, horses, showdowns, and, of course, hanging.
The Deadworlds in Fistful o' Zombies showcase the different eras of Western movies, and the slightly different heroes that fit in them. Basically, there's one setting each for Roy Rogers, John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, and Kevin Costner. There are also a pair of shorter Deadworlds set on a riverboat and in Alaska.
The last chapter is a set of conversion rules between Unisystem and Deadlands, the original Western fantasy/horror setting. Not being familiar with the Deadlands game, I can't speak for the quality of the rules. I have to assume they're pretty faithful, though, considering Fistful o' Zombies was written by Deadlands creator Shane Lacy Hensley.
Steal This: If you're running a Western game, or even a mildly Western-influenced game, take everything. (Compare to the Old West setting in the Slayer's Handbook, too.) If you're running a non-Western game, you'll have to pick and choose, and there's not too much that has general utility. In addition to the new rules, there are some new Qualities that could be useful: Number One with a Bullet, Fast as Hell, and True Grit come to mind. If you have a penchant for musicals, consider the Balladeer Quality too. The Deadworlds could also provide great historical inspiration, even if it's not an era you want to play in.
This is the one we've been waiting for. It's so beautiful, and so full of good ideas. This is the book that solidly introduces traditional fantasy to Unisystem games, and it doesn't mess around. There is only the briefest of reference lists before the second chapter plunges headlong into setting. It begins with a host of new Qualities and Drawbacks, including racial Qualities for most of the traditional fantasy races, and profession Qualities to cover niches that might come up in play. Then there's a section on equipment and new rules, including rules for shields and polearms. Dungeons and Zombies introduces the core WitchCraft Invoking and Necromancy systems (almost) in their entirety, introducing a new Necromantic Path for those powerful zombie lords you'll encounter along the way. The second chapter is rounded out by a brief system to make magic items and an essay on world creation.
Now on with the Deadworlds! There's a Conanesque setting, a Tolkienish setting, an Arthurian setting, and an east Asian hodgepodge setting. Each has a smattering of monsters (including zombie dragons) and occasionally a new Quality or two. The book finishes off with a sample dungeon, a tomb that's home to an evil necromancer and his goblin minions.
Steal This: Yes. All of it. In addition to the races and classes, you get an Ambidexterity Quality, and the very nifty Brachiation, Mystic Targeting, Nightvision, Underground Direction Sense and Walk in Shadows Powers. If you use the Necromancy Art, the Death Raising Path is a great addition. With some creativity you can also adapt the profession Qualities into modern equivalents for the members of strange and esoteric mystical orders. And that's before we get into the crunchy monster goodness in the Deadworlds.
But there's more. The Dungeons and Zombies Web Enhancement includes an adaptation of all the material in the main Dungeons and Zombies book to cinematic games, including another take on Essenceless Invoking. The enhancement has alternate versions of most of the racial Qualities, and a few new ones to boot. There's also a Drawback, Socially Inept, which was inadvertantly omitted from the book.
Coming Soon...
Terra Primate is an odd product. It's a one-off corebook, with no supplements. It basically follows the same framework as All Flesh Must Be Eaten, but with apes instead of zombies. A lot people passed on this one, despite it being a nice little product, and one that could be had for less than half price for almost all of 2004. Still, the niche is just a little too small. A shame, really.
Like All Flesh Must Be Eaten, Terra Primate recycles the classic Unisystem rules, and is therefore cross-compatible with everything else listed. There's the usual collection of Archetypes and Apeworlds, too.
Despite not being the best-selling game line of all time, Terra Primate does have an active fanbase. You can download a fantasy netbook called Serpents and Simians at The Gorilla Den.
Terra Primate once again presents the basic rules for playing a Unisystem game. This time, we get a reprint of the Seer Powers from the other game lines, but with a set of more traditional names (i.e. Telekinesis instead of Mindhands), and introduces an illusion Seer Power which has to date not been reprinted anywhere else. The rules chapter is followed by suggestions for building a setting. This could range from the traditional Planet of the Apes-style ape-dominated world to an Island of Dr. Moreau-like setting with apes as a common NPC/monster type. The Primatology chapter then goes into the anatomy of an intelligent ape Quality or Drawback. This section includes a few unique powers, and served as the protoype bridging the rules for zombie creation in All Flesh Must Be Eaten and Demon creation in Angel.
The Apeworlds are interesting, and a few of them (like "Apeopolis") could be introduced in a modern fantasy/horror game without too much tweaking. One of them ("Simians and Sorcerers") also includes a stripped down version of the Taint Powers from the WitchCraft Abomination Codex. There's also an appendix that contains an extensive bestiary. The classic Unisystem NPC style is a little sparse, but the sheer variety of creatures (including snakes, ogres, boars, and wyverns) makes up for the descriptions. These creatures could easily be included in any Unisystem game.
Steal This: If you're using Seer Powers, snag the Illusion power. A few of the unique ape powers (like Insubstantial and Flying) would fit in the Demon creation rules until such time as we get "official" cinematic versions. The bestiary at the end is also invaluable, especially if you use it in conjunction with Dungeons and Zombies as a fantasy game.
Coming Soon...
Coming Soon...
Eden Studios Presents is "Your guide to the Unisystem." It's a periodic supplement digest consisting (mostly) of fan-written material for any and all Eden gamelines. The volumes that have seen print so far have included monsters, character archetypes, detailed adventures, designer interviews, and even full (if brief) settings.
There are some drawbacks to these books - the editing is spotty, for one thing. The sample settings don't evince all that much creativity: most are recognizable products with their serial numbers callously removed. Additionally, the art in typical Eden fashion is spotty. Some pieces are very good, some are very bad, and a few are recycled from other products.
Obviously, the ESP line is not a complete game - you need a corresponding corebook to make much use of it.
The first Eden Studios Presents release is full of Unisystemy goodness. It begins with a description of a Bathsha, a new kind of Ethereal for WitchCraft and Armageddon. Frankly, I think this entry was mostly an excuse to justify the odd cover art. There are two interviews with game authors on then-forthcoming products (although both Dungeons and Zombies and Conspiracy X 2.0 have since been published), and a sample adventure to go with Conspiracy X. We are treated to four new BtVS RPG-style monsters, all of which were referenced in throw-away lines in the Buffy corebook.
Things really take off for ESP when we get to the "Spacefarers and Prairiefolk" article. To date, this is the only non-licensed Cinematic Unisystem game in an official product, although it's only non-licensed in the sense that the obvious references to Firefly have been toned down. But not that much. And that's not a bad thing. There is also an Apeworld for Terra Primate called "L Is for Liberty," which bears more than a passing resemblance to the 1980's television series V, but with apes instead of lizard-people.
Eden Studios Presents volume 1 finishes with a selection of archetypes for AFMBE and WitchCraft/Armageddon.
Steal This: The monsters, including the Bathsha Ethereal, are excellent additions, as are the archetypes (I especially like the former-Nazi supernatural family). While the interviews aren't of too much help, and the adventure is forgettable, the settings have great ideas - especially "Spacefarers and Prairiefolk." The Qualities and Drawbacks presented in that chapter can be exported easily, and although some of them aren't exactly balanced (underpowered, in fact) others (like Reputation) are excellent additions to any cinematic game. There's also a rudimentary system for spaceship design and combat.
Beginning with volume 2, each issue of Eden Studios Presents has a theme. This time around, it's the undead. We get a new mystic artifact, four articles on vampires, a new Apeworld (this one's a pulpy lost primitive civilization in Antarctica), a grab bag of new zombie types for AFMBE, and an AFMBE scenario (complete with some fairly nice maps). The only real drawback to this volume is the *ahem* gratuitous art.
The vampire articles are the real gem for a cinematic Director. "Cinematic Vampyres" imports the Vampyres from WitchCraft, adjusting their abilities and feeding methods to remove the Essence requirements. They can exist side by side with the standard Buffyverse vampires, and are created through an entirely different means. The next article, "Light Sleepers," provides new powers for Classic Unisystem Vampyres, stretching their abilities and providing for more variety. My only criticism of this article (and the one that follows it) is that equivalent Cinematic rules are left up to the reader to infer. "Of Fear, Pain and Ecstasy" introduces three WC Vampyre variants, each of which has its own feeding style and selection of powers. The last vampire-themed article is "When Bad Vampires Go Good," an essay on good(ish) Buffy vamps and "good" vampire archetypes.
Steal This: If you want to shake up your players' expectations of what vampires are and what they can do, this is the book for you. The "Cinematic Vampyres" is easy to include in a continuing campaign, and arguably Dracula's Buffyverse appearance was a Vampyre (or Moroi, as the article dubs them) rather than a standard vampire (or Strigoi) so there's plenty of precedent. The Vampyre styles (and additional powers) would easily expand on that material. Finally, the non-evil vampire archetypes could make great PCs or NPCs.
The "Scepter of Penance" magic item is a simple, easy to introduce Maguffin that witches and warlocks would doubtless kill to get their hands on. Moreover, the "Dead Ops" adventure is more of a military-themed Deadworld, and is just begging for some Initiative Commandos to spice things up.
