Over The Edge (05-09-20)

More setting than system, OTE takes place on a fictional island in the Atlantic, like Interzone from Naked Lunch but where every conspiracy you can think of is true. Psychic powers and sentient baboons share space with aliens, demons and celebrities. I was thinking it was very Robert Anton Wilson inspired, but then they call out William Burroughs as their main muse towards the end of the book. It was Ron Edwards’ notes in the annotated Sorcerer which led me here, I think he explicitly mentions some rule from the first edition.

Mechanically the game it reminds me of the most is Sorcerer (and FATE) - the rules are very simple, built for storytelling and drama, it’s an elegant system. There is very little in the way of character stats - you decide a Main Trait (Heretical Exorcist say) and a Side Trait (with Jihadi combat training) and can do anything that would fall under these to a numerical extent defined by your level (1st to 5th). Critically you also pick a Question Mark which defines your character and will likely serve as a tool for the GM (Hard hearted? Wise? Determined etc) and similarly a Trouble (I let curiosity get the better of me, I always have to show off). There are no mechanical aspects to these but they do serve as a way for the player to say to the GM and other players 'these are the kind of situations I want to deal with'. And that is pretty much it for characters.

Dice rolls are referred to as ‘lots’ and the idea is that you throw them rarely - generally one roll would cover a whole combat or action. It works like this - throw 2d6, if you have the initiative you succeed on 7+ otherwise it’s 8+. For each level difference between you and the difficulty of the task you either get to re-roll a die or have the GM force you to re-roll. A 3 will you get a ‘Bad Twist’ and on a 4 you get a ‘Good Twist’. Rolling a double gets you Karma; a free re-roll to use later.

I like it, especially the rules (out of a 250 page book the rules make up the first 50 pages) but if I could only play one RPG out of all the ones I’ve read lately this wouldn’t be it.