Tag: Cryptomancy

Recently I reviewed Cryptomancer, and I’d recommend reading that first if you are not familiar with this great game.

This supplement adds a lot more detail to the world of Cryptomancer, as well as providing more great add-ons for use with other settings. I have had several ideas for ways to add Cryptomancy to D&D or Warhammer games, as well as the steamjack heavy setting of Iron Kingdoms. Code & Dagger is free to anyone that has purchased Cryptomancer, what a bargain!

I think the front cover nicely encapsulates the title: Code & Dagger.  Sadly there is no extra artwork inside, but this is free book so that is understandable. The layout used in this supplement continues the approach used in the main Cryptomancer sourcebook; I am sure any programmer will appreciate this consistency.

Crypto-gear Prosthesis

The rules for crypto-gear provide an interesting way of adding cybernetics to any fantasy game. Of course this being Cryptomancer means the idea doesn’t end there, the implications of hacking crypto-gear are presented. In real life the issue of biotech and security is a big one, so the inclusion of these ideas into Cryptomancer is brilliant.

This addition also further emphasises Cryptomancer’s cyberpunk theme for me. Not simply because a virtual network and metal arms are common tropes in the cyberpunk genre, but also because the explanation of crypto-gear highlights their rarity. This means it is likely that the player characters (PC) are going to be indebted to a powerful organisation, which gives them literal power over a PC’s body, a situation that has been the root idea of many cyberpunk stories.

The inclusion of a crypto-gear summary table is a great help regarding rules and description. Shopping lists are typically fan favourites.

Hacks and Exploits

This section provides more detailed information about implications of Cryptomancy, such as Proof of Life which further explores the issue of what happens to echoes on the Shardscape that had been encrypted using a true name. The section goes on to introduce other fun things: Goblin Switches, Message Drones and Mail Bombs, Shadow Terror, Credit Shards and the EchoChain Ledger, Teller Gears, and Cryptovault Hardening. The section also includes three new spells: Kill Arc, Kill Zone, and Shard Balm. I found all of these ideas to be useful, expanding the setting and providing adventure seeds.

Threat Intel

There are two new tough threats introduced in this section: Vampires and Juggernauts.

Given how many different versions of vampires there are across the multitude of myths, the word Vampire is not exactly informative. This type is a bit similar to Nosferatu, but it has the wonderful ability to steal a victim’s soul key. This intriguing power means that a victim will effectively have had their identity stolen. This will not only lead to great in game drama, but also ties in with Cryptomancer’s aim of teaching cyber security to the players. The means of tracking a vampire is also given a real life emphasis, being more like hunting a cybercriminal, thus in game auditing of bank accounts and EchoChain transactions are likely the best approach.

Juggernauts are enormous orcs who have been enhanced with crypto-gear, making them more like a cyberpsycho, Ork Warboss (40K), or even a Terminator. With such a dangerous opponent, direct fighting is generally too big a risk, but this game provides interesting ways to tackle such a creature.

Endgame

A few reviews highlighted how the player was not keen on the idea of the Risk Eaters being unassailable and inevitable. The section introduces factions, so the party are not alone in their fight. Whilst the mechanics of gaining risk have not been altered, this social change has massive ramifications in regards to survival, and maybe even victory. I’m not going to summarise any of the factions listed, in case a player is reading this, so they can discover the information in game. Given the multitude of fictional or real life examples of politics, spies, and secret organisations, there is nothing stopping a games master from further complicating the conspiratorial web.

Given that this supplement included the potential for vast networks ruled by vampires, I started envisioning networks on the scale of Vampire: The Masquerade, with regards to the Camarilla, the Sabbat competing with each other, whilst the Inconnu and Tal’Mahe’Ra (True Black Hand) remain in the shadows.

It Still Comes

The supplement ends with a short story. I’ll not spoil it, but summarise that the tale foreshadows the coming of a titanic enemy, with possible genocidal plans!

Summary

I highly recommend checking out this supplement, as it’s a collection of great ideas that are well presented and include ideas on how to utilise them; I’d have happily paid money for it. To quote the end of my Cryptomancer review:

Additionally there is a free expansion book: Code & Dagger, and with Code & Dagger Vol. 2 on the way, this game’s value keeps increasing.

Code & Dagger Volume 2 is set for release August 2017. I’ll hopefully review Vol 2. in a few weeks.