Spooked, Inc. for Scenematic Horror/Mystery Investigations

[brettmb]

For those who are not aware, I recently released Spooked, Inc. You play an Advocate for a company called Spooked, Inc. much in the way drivers work for Uber. You get contracted with a team to investigate someone's hauntings and other mysteries. The rules are compatible with Dark Horrors & Hidden Places (Scenematic Edtion), so you can also borrow spells and monsters from that game. One of its focuses is on Scenematic Rolls, where you work to whittle down a scene's challenge rating to accomplish a goal, sometimes with a deadline. For example, beating back a horde of zombies (rather than just dealing with individual creatures, although you can do that too). Anyway, that's my pitch. I think it's a fun game and would make a great Halloween one-shot or episodic series. It's currently available in PDF with a softcover pre-order.

Precis Intermedia: http://rpg.deals/spooked
DTRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/411599/Spooked-Inc--Frightfully-Scenematic-Roleplaying

 

[E-Rocker]

I like the cover art.

 

[brettmb]

I like the cover art.

Thanks. Jesus Garcia does great work!

 

[Cowboy Duck]

I've been reading this the past few days and I am really impressed. It's a tight little package, attractively produced and priced just right.

The setting - paper thin, really just a way to get the characters together and motivated to confront some monsters. And that is perfect. You can easily change it to some other group - tabloid journalists, Internet-famous ghost hunters, or whatever with no real work.
The tone - there are monsters and injuries and madness, but Spooked, Inc. doesn't lose sight that its inspirations and most game groups that would play this are funny.
The rules - a total breeze. Resolution uses dice pools of six-siders, where each odd rolled is a success. Total successes are compared with an opposing roll. The game system is named "Scenematic," which is a way to resolve some conflicts and challenges - there is a rating of total successes needed to overcome the challenge. You can also add a timeframe requirement or some hindrance. These Scenematic challenges can be used to model defusing a bomb before it explodes (add a time limit), searching for something in a pile of trash, translating an occult tome, or fighting a horde of monsters (no need to track a bunch of individuals). There are also cliches, special bonuses you can use a limited number of times in a session.
GM Support - Incredible. This game gives you guidance on when to roll dice, structuring and running adventures, applying the rules to specific situations, elements of horror and of comedy, and how different parts of society reacts. Twenty monsters are detailed - from gothic to folk to sci-fi - and monster creation guidance is given. Monsters also list Indicatives, clues that they're involved - not enough games do that. I'm going to stress the word "guidance" - none of this is rules or systems, but it is all rock-solid advice.

My verdict - What a solid little game. So many monster fighting games are weighed down under grimness or setting details. Spooked, Inc. gives you the tools to quickly run some supernatural antics as either a one shot or a campaign. I will be running this.

As a side note, we all know brettmb is a hero for his publishing. He doesn't get enough credit as a writer however. The text is super clear. Precis Intermedia's games are not likely anyone's first game and that is a shame - I can't see how anyone couldn't run a game after a quick read.

 

[brettmb]

Wow. Thanks very much. You made my day. I think you perfectly nailed what I was trying to do with it.