UVG (21-03-21)

 

Ultraviolet Grasslands and the Black City, Psychedelic Metal Roleplaying - to give it its full title, is not so much a trippy adventure game as a whole campaign, rule system and aesthetic template all in one. The layout of the book speaks volumes, there is a brief intro then 130 pages defining all the locations on the map for the eponymous setting, starting at the Violet city and getting stranger with every step east to the Black City at the edge of the world/universe/campaign. Then there's 50 pages or so of rules at the back.


The actual rules are fairly OSR, using a Difficulty Target with a d20 + Stat + Skill roll over system. Stats are simply the bonus they provide (like Knave), you get 7 points to spread across the 6. Skills are just things you are very good at, with the bonus they provide being dictated by character level (so all skills provide the same bonus). Hit Points (called Health) are a flat amount, also set by level. There are no classes as such and races range from cats, through humans and elves to robots and ghosts! The whole thing has a really great tone, its all very much about the play experience and has that OSR ethic of providing systems and tables rather than definitive, authoritative encounters. He does say explicitly that he is very anti-cannon. The game should belong to each group. History for example is rolled from a bunch of big tables of random facts - the lore is what you make of it, which bits you choose to run with. It provides rules and tables for all its key aspects, with plenty on caravans as traveling from a to b is basically the whole game.


I did not read the actual world stuff much - I read the rules, the starting location, the end location and then dipped into bits and pieces in between. There is such a wealth of material in the book and the writer’s love for it comes through loud and clear. It is simply bursting with maps, illustrations and table after table. I think i would have really loved this if it had been around when i was in my early 20s, I'd have been dying to play it. 

I’m not sure what first lead me to it, except that I discovered it on Itch.io and was blown away by everything about the aesthetic. Luka Rejec - the designer and writer did it all - i.e. including all the many awesome pieces of art that it contains - there is something about the clean airy line style that reminds me of Moebius, it's great stuff though not quite up to the god tier draftsmanship of the master! I wish I had caught the kickstarter, it would have been nice to get a proper fancy version of the book, the POD version I have (at least I assume thats what it is) is not up to the prestige quality the material deserves.

Theres lots of great samples of the art and tables on Luka's Itch page where you can order the pdf and find links to physical sales too.