Kult

Review: RPG

Reviewed by Matt Staroscik

Metropolis Ltd. $24.95/272 pages

Long ago, men were as gods. Modern existence -- our captivity on Earth -- was the result of a plot by the mysterious entiq known as the Demiurge. Now, the otherworldly creatures who were once our servants are our captors, and we are blind to the true Reality which surrounds us. While the vast majority of humanity is trapped in Elysium, our illusory prison, some individuals are able to break through the veil and perceive Metropolis, the First City.

Metropolis is the birthplace of humanity, the origin of civilization. It is the one city of which all others are merely reflections. Likewise, our cemeteries and battlefields are closely tied to the true hells which are home to a host of vile creatures. Some of the entities from Reality are among us even now, such as the lictors, our jailers.

This is the setting of Kult, a modern-day horror RPG from Metropolis Ltd. Its combination of simple, efficient mechanics and a unique premise make it a must-have for the horror gamer. It is not a game for the squeamish; Kult does not sugar-coat the world it presents. Moreover, it also deals with topics other many other horror games don't touch -- like sexuality. It is certainly a game "for mature players only." This being said, it is important to note that Kult maintains a high standard of quality at all times and none of the mature issues it presents are dealt with in poor taste.

The book is 272 pages, perfect-bound, and the interior art is printed mostly in black and red. Interior illustrations are less frequent than in many RPGs, but do a good job of evoking the game's mood. An index and blank character sheet are also included.

Kult's mechanics are easy to leam and flexible. There are eight stats and a point-based character generation system. More than fifteen example character archetypes are included but the skillbased character creation insures that players will not be restricted to them. The archetypes are well-written and moreover most of them are illustrated in full color. To help flesh out the characters, an advantage and disadvantage system is used. It is very well done; the options included are well-suited to the horror genre.

The Kult system also sports a clever set of rules for car chases and vehicular combat, burning and drowning, drug use, poisons, martial arts, travel, and more. If you are one of those gamers who's always using bits and pieces of rules from different games, Kult will give you some great parts to play with. The combat system is simple and direct, but may not be realistic enough for more demanding gainers. It falls somewhere between White Wolf's Storyteller system and Battlelords of the 23rd Century in overall complexity.

Rules for magic are also included and while the system meshes well with Kult's feel it is shorter than some might desire -- those wishing for massive spell lists will be disappointed. That's not as much of a problem as it might seem because PCs in Kult are not intended to be magic powerhouses -- they must rely on their wits and mundane skills most of the time. (Kurt is similar to Call of Cthulbu in this respect.) There are six different magic Lores, which are like "spheres" in other games: Madness, Time & Space, Dreams, Death, Passion, and Reality.

While the rules are truly well done, the game's real strength is the setting. It evokes the mood of such horror environments as Hellraiser without being derivative. A wealth of information is given on Metropolis, Inferno, the realm of dreams, the Labyrinth and other otherworldly places. The creatures thar inhabit these places -- Archons, lictors, death angels, Cairath, Purgatides, Razides, and more -- are also detailed. Naturally, a section on cults is also present. Several supplements are already available, too; the Metropolis Sourcebook review follows, and we hope to cover the rest of the line in future issues of Shadis.

Tired of werewolves? Do you long for something more intense than vampires? Explore the world between terror and madness, between dreams and death that is Kult.

See you on the other side...

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