Review: Epoch

 

I am sure that Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal altered my brain chemistry and since then I have had stone age and that era adjacent on my mind. My love for Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park, Land Before Time, and reading The Land That Time Forgot by Edgar Rice Burroughs when I was too young notwithstanding. 

Olde House Rules claims inspiration from the legends of stop motion animation Ray Harryhausen (probably One Million Years B.C. being up at the top of the list) and Willis H. O'brien as well as the Aurora Prehistoric Scene Model Kits. This is in addition to the comics Tor and Turok, Son of Stone. 

Disclaimer: I was gifted a PDF copy of Epoch with no expectations. In addition, Olde House Rules and I have collaborated on various projects.  

 

Presentation: The PDF clocks in at 42 pages which includes the cover, legal pages, table of contents, and dedication. Epoch is presented in an old school type writer style of font with numerous full page black and white wood cut art pieces. The game opens up with an "official" letter from an archeologist to another colleague that talks about enclosed/collected material proving that history got a lot of things wrong and humans existed along side the dinosaurs and so on. Then the game pages follows and you start with an introduction on what is role playing and explanations on dice before getting into the game proper. 

 

 Character Creation: Character creation is straight forward and follows these steps:

1. Choose a Clan/Tribe from the two options. The BONE CHILDREN (homo neanderthalensis) are short stocky and have dense bone structures which provides them strength above and beyond normal means. The other Clan/Tribe The STONE PEOPLE (homo sapiens) are physically modern
   humans that lack the might of their counterparts but posses a unique relationship with luck that allows them to succeed automatically at times. 
2. Roll 3d6 in order to determine SKILL scores (and their modifiers) for the following: Animism, Crafting, Gathering, Hunting, Knowledge, and Stalking. Skill scores can range from 3-18 and the Skill modifiers range from -3 to +3. Players can then swap two skill of their choice. There is also a section that discusses different options if a player rolls badly...
3. Any character with a 9+ in Animism may choose to become a Shaman... 
4. Choose a Skill to Specialize in. 
5.  Start with 10 Hit Points.
6. Record Tribal Language (Bone or Stone) and the common trade language. Characters with high knowledge are able to speak all three languages.
7. Players receive 5 Barter points to equip their character at the beginning of the game. Barter points represent general trade goods or artifacts. For game purposes, characters may wear clothing and
   carry a single weapon of their choice, plus 10 additional artifacts provided these are small enough to fit in a sack or sling over one shoulder. 

Resolution: Resolution follows a strait forward system of rolling 2d6 + Skill Modifier vs. a Target Number to accomplish most tasks. The target numbers are split in sections of Easy, Moderate, Tough, and Formidable with a number range for each section. The bottom of the total range starts at 5 and ends at 13+.  If a character has a specialty in said skill, the player rolls 3d6 and adds all dice together to determine the total vs. the target number. 

Combat uses the same basic resolution but when combat happens, the game switches to rounds and follows this formula:

1. Determine Initiate by placing all combatants in order of their speed (which is determined by the type of furs/armor of the beast) that ranges from 0 (the fastest) to 3 (the slowest). If participants are tired on a tier, the adversaries go first unless the Player Characters have a clear advantage. 
2. Characters act in the established initiative order and attacks are made using the standard resolution rules vs. defense (which is determined by type of beast or furs worn). 
3. If an attack is successful, damage is rolled based on beast size or weapons used (1d6-3d6). The total on the damage roll is subtracted from the opponents HP table.
4. When HP reaches zero. death is the result.

There are some other subsystems that are important to note:

• An optional system for medicinal herbs
• Rest/recovery 
• Advancement 
• Environmental Hazards 
• Bone Tribe/Clan Strength is narrative based
• Stone Clan/Tribe possess an action pool that let them automatically succeed due to their natural adaptability and tenacity 
• Item Breakage 
• Rules on Rations (food and water)
• A full bestiary where each creature may have a hides and meat rating to determine food and raw supplies that can be farmed from the creature

Oh ya, how could I forgot Shamans? If a character has an Animism score of 9+ (as previous mentioned) the player may choose to be a Shaman. Shamans follow a different advancement table, acquire the power of a totem instantly, and have the ability to cast spells at level 2. 

When a Shaman reach level 2, they acquire a couple of spell points that are used to cast spells. The cost of the spell varies by strength and each spell as its own effect, duration, and range. There is a list of 10 thematic spells that match the setting. 

Final Thoughts: Epoch - A Game of Stone and Spell walks a line between the realms of ancient and modern game theory. You can see the influences from the original three brown books and other games from Olde House Rules offerings with new innovations. It is also important to note that it should be read in its entirety due to the flow and to make sure things are not missed. 

One of the things that I found pretty cool is that instead of just using the default six attributes, Olde House Rules turned them into skills and in doing so evoked a simpler yet very theatrical world that matches the flavor of the setting. 

Epoch captures the vibe of the "Stone Age" with prehistoric trappings perfectly and you can also see Olde House Rules inspirational sources shine through the writing. Reading through it sparks inspiration for the implied setting and it can lead to endless adventures. 

The game is toted as a survival game which is reinforced by the need to eat and drink at predetermined intervals or suffer consequences (this makes foraging and supplies important), basic but no nonsense encumbrance rules, large creatures are dangerous (require a plan and numbers to tackle successfully or characters are going to get chomped up!), and an initial idea that the group of characters acts as a hunting party. This creates a wild and deadly (while not overtly deadly) universe where survival comes first and adventures come second. 

Finally, the game is presented in way that the Referee can choose to run it without any weirdness/supernatural or decide to crank the weirdness/supernatural up to 11 (and everything in-between).

With that being said, I would have loved to see more setting information and hex/world map. Though, that is because I just love the era (setting, idea, etc) and I want more. 

You can find Epoch and other information here:

• Drivethrurpg 
• Character Sheet 
• Olde House Rules Website  
• The first Supplement by Etheral Games: Red Ochre & Ruins