Rochester Gamers Community

I first came across Dread via RGC’s MySpace page. I believe it was actually from another independent RPG developer that was a friend to RGC’s MySpace page. So I started reading little blurbs and eventually visited the Dread site (http://www.dread-rpg.com). Most people know I am somewhat of a horror fan, so having another horror RPG to check out was worth some extra research. Before I knew it I was hooked and I had not even seen the book itself yet. I waited and waited (the new edition suffered a few delays) for Dread to be released so I could get my hands on it and see if my self-imposed hype was worth it. Dread was eventually released and I was right there pounding on the cyber doors to get my hands on it (from http://stores.lulu.com/pandemonium). And I can honestly say, the self-imposed hype was definitely worth it, in my opinion.

Dread was developed by Rafael Chandler, a man whose current day job has him writing storylines for some well known video game properties. So it is no surprise that one of the strengths of Dread is the story, or that role-playing is incorporated into the system mechanics. So what is Dread all about?

Dread takes a group (the players) of end of the world feeling, down on their luck, people and rescues them from the brink of self-destruction in the form of a mentor. This mentor not only saves the group, but removes them from their former lives and trains them in supernatural combat and “awakens” them as disciples. The disciples all learn the harsh reality of demons and their lot in life as demon hunters from that day forward. The disciples entire existence now surrounds the idea of hunting and killing demons in a kill or be killed lifestyle where teammates don’t even share real names anymore. Or as Dread sums up nicely in its self description, “This is a violent game of horror-action, set in a world of demons and black magic. It’s gruesome, profane, and intended for adults.”

As you can tell from the description above, Dread makes no apologies for being an adult-oriented horror RPG. So right off the bat, this one is not for the kids. Even reading through the source book is not for the kids. Dread does not pull punches in descriptions or artwork. It is pure, raw adult-oriented horror material; and personally I would not have it any other way. I have plenty of RPGs around the house that I can sit down and play with my son when he gets a little older (he’s 7 right now) but sometimes, especially in the horror genre, you want that game that smacks you in the gut as you are playing it. A game that has a darker, grittier feel that really tries to be the type of horror that makes you jump when watching your favorite slasher movie. Dread definitely has that potential.

Game Mechanics
The game system is based around the D12. It is the only die you will need, but you will need a lot of them. You roll a pre-determined amount of D12’s, adding any bonus dice you may have earned (more on that later) and you take the highest number rolled for your success. If it is a contest and you tie, then both sides step down to the next highest die until a winner is determined. Also, if you roll multiples of a number, you get to add that base number to the number of dice that matched the roll. So, for example, if I rolled a 2, 3, 6, 8, 11, 11, and 11. My highest number is not 11, but actually 14 (11 + 3 (number of dice showing an 11). This core mechanic makes for very fast combat and test resolutions. This is a recurring theme in Dread; fast and simple!

Another nice mechanic in Dread is the use of Fury points. At the start of each case each player has 12 Fury points they can spend. You can never have more than 12 and you can earn more during the case, so you might as well use them. Fury points can be spent on stunts that allow your character to perform death defying stunts (some of which bring you to the brink of death), reroll failures, or add an additional D12 to your roll. In an effort to keep my review (and our publication) as family friendly as possible I will refrain from listing all the stunt names, but one example is the BOHICA (acronym for Bend Over, Here It Comes Again); which will drop the character to 1 Life point regardless of the outcome, but the creature being attacked is only allowed a single D12 to defend with, and if the player’s attack is successful, the damage is doubled. One of the cool things about the stunts is that almost all of them have a requirement that the player describe the act they are about to pull off in detail, including any harm that the stunt puts the character in.

I mentioned gaining bonus dice in my initial explanation above. There are three ways you can gain bonus dice for your rolls. The simplest way is to kill a Fury point to add one extra die to your roll. Another way is a mechanic known as the “Being Cool.” With this mechanic, the GM can reward you with an extra D12 on your roll if your description of what you are doing is in the realm of cool (as decided by the other players and the GM). So instead of just saying, “I’ll threaten him until he talks,” and then rolling your dice; you might try actually describing the tactics you will use, what you will say, props at hand, etc… Adding all of those factors into your description could net you an extra D12 to roll for success. The final way to earn an extra D12 is by tying your action into the character’s Drive. Drive is a one word description that basically boils down your character’s overwhelming driving force. It can be Pain, Redemption, Purification, etc… Then if you can describe how the action ties in to your Drive, you can earn another D12. And yes, all of these effects are cumulative.

Keeping with the fast and simple rule of thumb all characters have three attributes; Strength, Sense, and Soul. You distribute 9 points between the three attributes; each has to have at least1 point and one attribute must have 5 or 6 points assigned to it. And the attribute you make give the high points to will determine which of the three Disciplines your character follows: Combat, Lore, or Sorcery. Combat and Sorcery are pretty self-explanatory. A Lore character is the one that has the most potential to research the type of demon being fought. They also have more skills then the other two types, so they play are large part in the initial research/hunt for the demon. All characters also get some skills and at least a couple of spells they can cast.

All of the spells are not only uniquely named, but are unique in nature (don’t look for Magic Missile, you won’t find it). And the spells are insane enough that any “normal” stumbling in to the fight might not be able to tell the demon from the demon hunter.

All of the demons are well described and given plenty of detail from description to habits. The demons are just sick (as you would expect from demons) ranging from killing couples without children to make toys out of their body parts to stalking victims with a chemical dependency, killing them, and writing verse in the victims blood. To me the book is worth the demons alone.

What Works
The fast and flexible system works well overall. Combat is quick and the results can be fun to play out and describe. The system is tailored made for people that want to sit down, quickly make a character, and get playing.

The descriptive nature of the game lends itself well to those moments in gaming where everyone just stops and is in awe of what is happening. Or those moments that cause the entire room to bust out laughing. If your players (and the GM) can get in to it, this game is great for over-the-top action sequences.

The demons are just inspiring by themselves and reading through a description tends to give me two or three good ideas for scenarios.

What Doesn’t
I’d almost prefer to call this section “What Might Not” as I think a lot is based on play style. For instance, the system’s flexibility will not appeal to all players or GMs. A GM that likes everything completely structured might feel a bit out of place in Dread. Likewise, players that are use to just rolling dice and reporting numbers might not get in to the action description portion of Dread, and it could take awhile for other players to even warm up to it.

The over-the-top style I referred to earlier can also hinder the game if the entire group is not in to that style of play. Can it be toned down? Sure. But then I think you are taking away an extremely fun aspect of Dread if you do that. Keep this in mind and you will be fine.

Dread can suffer a little with a larger group. I think it hits a sweet spot around 3-4 players. I have run scenarios with 6 players and I worried about some of the lag. For instance, early investigation might have the Combat disciplines just sort of waiting for something to hit, while later in the game the Lore disciplines might feel they need to take a step back and let the others handle the fight. Some of this is mitigated with character contacts that can be called on, and the fact that regardless of discipline a character gets at least a couple of spells to use. Still larger groups with only three disciplines to choose from can make for the occasional awkward situation; a sort of too many cooks in the kitchen scenario.

There is some concern about longevity with Dread. It is great for one-shots, demos, convention runs, or a quick pick up game between campaign sessions. But can Dread hold up as a campaign setting itself? I think there is potential, but it is definitely not tailor made for campaign style play. Dread sort of plays like a “monster of the week” television show. So it can be a bit formulaic if just taken at face value. But a GM could delve in to the “why” of the disciples and their mentor and find some gems to work with. I think there is just more work to be done by both the players and the GM to make Dread into a campaign; as it is not completely laid out in front of them. This could always change in future source books as well.

Overall
It cannot be stressed enough, but this system and setting is not for kids. Put your children to bed and then break out some adult-oriented demon hunting.

I have enjoyed running sessions of Dread and the feedback I have received from each session has been positive. It is definitely a chance to let players blow off some steam and get a little nuts while hunting down some demons. I will definitely be running more sessions in the future and I am looking forward to the follow up source books in the Dread line. Grab it if you are a horror fan or if you are looking for a quick, flexible system. Definitely worth the purchase.