Publisher: PaNik Productions
Writer: M. Andrew Payne
Year: 2012
Players: 2 or more
Ages: 17+ (An age restricted download)
Category: Modern Horror RPG Campaign
Pages: 150
Retail Price: $12.95 PDF
Includes:
- 150 pages of text + 30 pages of character stats + 21 pages of maps
- Full Color, Fully Illustrated, Multi-Layered PDF
- 7+ Individual Adventure Scenarios
- 5 Multi-Page Maps Including Offices, Homes, & Neighborhoods.
- 2 Sets of Clue Cards for player hand-outs.
- 3 System Compatibility
- Savage Worlds
- d20 Modern
- True20
The Deadly Seven is a modern-era supernatural horror adventure that pits the characters against seven unwitting servants of hell. The players will have to contend with a variety of threats both direct and indirect ranging from drive-by shootings and murderous psychopaths to rogue hackers, misguided zealots, and the demonically possessed. As each encounter draws them deeper into the grip of evil, they’ll have to find the connection between their seemingly unrelated opponents to find the sinister mastermind manipulating events behind the scenes.
The Deadly Seven is a modern horror campaign designed to be run using the Savage Worlds, d20 Modern, or True 20 systems. The Game Master can choose to run the interconnected stories as a campaign or as standalone scenarios within a current group’s ongoing adventuring. For the most part PaNik has put together a mainly professional product, outside of the criticisms which follow, and the supplement is packed with info although finding that info can be a chore. I’ll present this review as spoiler free as possible. That said, let’s look at what I find good, bad, and indifferent about The Deadly Seven.
I’ll begin with some of the bad, right out the gate, because one issue I ran across is sure to be discovered by practically everyone who purchases the supplement. The decision, by PaNik Productions, to release The Deadly Seven as a layered PDF based on Adobe’s 1.5 structure is a huge mistake. The reason behind this is, unless the reader is using a computer to read the book on a desktop or laptop, there is no way to turn off the various layers. This is a massive hassle for those of us – including myself – who use a tablet or eBook reader to run digital adventures. Since The Deadly Seven is only available as a digital download, I’d have hoped the guys at PaNik would have the foresight not to go in the direction they did.
Unless you use a computer (or reformat the main core book file) every one of the 150 pages will display a character image, with an accompanying dialogue balloon explaining you have to hide layers in the PDF, which then overlays and blocks out large portions of the lower right corner. Also, trying to read the book on a smart device, you’ll find areas in which specific RPG system information is located all layered over each other making those portions of text illegible. Simply bad eBook design. Sure, it would make for a larger download but each rules system should have it’s own PDF.
I’m a tech savvy guy – I did build and do maintain this very website – so, after playing around with the core book file for a while, I decided the easiest way to address the issue was to hide the layers in Adobe, convert the file to a Microsoft XPS document, convert that file back to a PDF, and upload the new file to my tablet. These are hoops some folks may not have the knowledge or software available to jump through. In fact, I was so irritated of having to screw around with this, once I converted the file and made sure I could read the book on my tablet, I placed it off to the side for a couple of days because I didn’t want my irritation to creep into the overall take I had on the material.
I should also point out there are quite a few more spelling and grammatical errors sprinkled throughout the text than I would expect in a product made available for sale. Some of these errors are glaringly obvious; they should have been caught on either the first or second proofing of the book.
The book is broken down into a series of scenarios, with a connecting thread which should become more obvious as the players continue through the campaign. Each of the adventures, outside of the climax, deals with a deadly sin as well as its corresponding demon. Mainly the players are introduced to a situation, discover who is behind the current trouble, and by using whatever means they’ve made available exorcising the demon. One of the issues I have with the presentation of the supplement is the fact the exorcism portion of each adventure isn’t located alongside the rest of the information for that scenario. This leads the reader having to jump forward in order to learn about the particulars of the demon in question and how the possessed victim can be saved; in a physical book this is an issue but in a digital format we’re looking at a major problem in my opinion. Also, the wash, rinse, repeat format of each adventure (situation, demon, exorcism) wears thin rather quickly and I can’t see running The Deadly Seven as an out and out campaign having the ability to hold players’ interest for long.
For a product touted as modern horror I have to say I didn’t find much that will play out as truly horrifying. Outside of two instances (lust and gluttony) I would be hard pressed to imagine providing any good “spooks” for my players. Even in those two adventures, I’d need to pad and build upon what’s already there in order to get a solid scare or three across; I didn’t run across much that could lead my players to the edges of their seats. Add to this the material is presented (outside of the demonic possessions) as grounded in reality while huge jumps in logic are required to pull off some of the adventures doesn’t make a lot of sense; the session regarding the radio preacher and his congregation comes across as especially ham handed in its attempt to make the players feel as if everyone is out to get them while another adventure plays out in nearly the identical manner with a few differences in how willing the opponents are to engage in physical harm.
The finale to the campaign is more of an anti-climax as well. As written, I believe my group of players would find the ending to be a bigger let down than anything else, truth be told. I will point out ideas for making the conclusion of the tale a much more nefarious undertaking are provided. Making your way to the end, and providing yourself with a mental flow chart for the narrative, is made more difficult due to information scattered throughout and adventures provided in no particular order or with any rhyme or reason so only the most dedicated GMs will be able to lead the players to the conclusion.
I did mention there would be some good in the review and I’ll say the artwork is alright and graphics of the book are solid. There’s a truckload of supplemental info, so if you’re someone who wants a good fifty pages of background regarding demonic possession as fact the book can be useful.
One final note, and this comes strictly from a personal perspective, is the presentation of demons and demonic possession itself. I’m not here to debate religious dogma or theology but I’ll be the first to point out I don’t believe in the existence of demons or people possessed by demons. That’s just me, and I’m not knocking anyone’s belief system, but it’s just not a bag of tricks I’m invested in. There is loads of information about possession contained in the book and this may be, for some, the main selling point of picking it up. I just have some issue, once again a personal viewpoint, of how the information is presented. With a third of The Deadly Seven devoted to demons and the theology of demonic possession, as if it were a matter of fact, my impression of the supplement is more of the aside a religious dogma given voice is the goal as opposed to providing an interesting, frightening, and thought provoking tale of terror.
Just my gut reaction folks…
This review is actually one of the more difficult I’ve had to present as we’re not looking at something which may come down to personal taste alone but a person’s own belief system comes into play as well. In the end, I truly believe your enjoyment in running The Deadly Seven will boil down to the religious convictions of your players and yourself. In my opinion, too much of the thought process that demonic possession is real bleeds though and too much space is devoted to the concept. Added on top of the issues with presentation, scenarios not providing any good scares (unless you have the fundamental belief that a demon could actually possess you since that would certainly be a terrifying concept), narrative threads that are tenuous at best alongside a climax which is less than mind blowing doesn’t make for a campaign I’d be looking to run for my gaming group anytime in the future.
