Albedo (role-playing game)
Encyclopedia
Albedo is a role-playing game
based on Steve Gallacci's "Erma Felna: EDF" and "Birthright" storylines, from the funny animal
comic anthologies Albedo
and Critters
.
published ALBEDO: PLATINUM CATALYST, the current edition of the role-playing game. The game was published as a single softcover with source material, rules of engagement, and sample characters. Most notable are its attention to details of small-unit tactics using near-future and far-future weaponry, in the same vein as Tom Clancy
's Rainbow Six and other "techno thrillers", as well as using genetically-engineered
people as a morality
play for 20th century geopolitics
.
Secondary characters tend to get killed off rather quickly, but if they manage to survive enough missions, they get a Morale boost. Your typical green soldier has 1 morale point if they Trust their commanding officer—unless the Storyteller says otherwise, this is true. Loyalty, earned completing three missions with the main character, allows 3 morale points. Morale is a character's ability to keep cool, every time he's shot at or an explosion goes off nearby, supporting characters lose one point of morale. Main characters have a different stat that works the same way, but is also used for other things: Drive.
In Albedo, higher skill gets you a larger sided die. Skill rank 1 gives you the smallest: 1d4, 2 points gives you 1d6 all the way up to rank 5 giving you 1d12. That's not all though, you can decide to take a test in one of several manners: Basic, Pushing, Risking, Breezing, and Rote.
Rote is the "take 10" of Albedo, you get your skill ranks + 1. This is business as usual.
Basic is for those things that you fail sometimes, but need higher than a 2 on the die.
Pushing is doing things better. The unusual circumstances where you need to succeed. You grab twice as many dice as you normally would and roll them and take the better (Pushing is the one of two ways to Overwhelmingly Succeed: simply, both dice meet or beat the target)
Risking is for those times when you need to reach beyond your normal capacity because regular dice aren't enough and only necessary if you have 4 ranks or fewer. Simply grab the next size die and take your chances.
Breezing is the last method, where the character is overqualified for the job at hand and wants to outperform. This is similar to Pushing, only you take the sized die of half your skill ranks and roll twice as many (the second way to overwhelmingly succeed, and the reason why you buy over 5 ranks in a skill).
, it was originally published as a box set in 1988 by Thoughts & Images and consisted of 4 books: Player's Manual, Equipment Description, Referee's Manual and Tlakatan Scenario (sample scenario). The RPG was later revised and published by Chessex
in 1993 as a softcover. There is one companion sourcebook and a pair of ready-made scenarios, also in softcover:
There also exists a third-party guide to converting Albedo for use with the GURPS
RPG system, written by Fred M. Sloniker and called, appropriately enough, GURPS Albedo.
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
based on Steve Gallacci's "Erma Felna: EDF" and "Birthright" storylines, from the funny animal
Funny animal
Funny animal is a cartooning term for the genre of comics and animated cartoons in which the main characters are humanoid or talking animals, with anthropomorphic personality traits. The characters themselves may also be called funny animals...
comic anthologies Albedo
Albedo Anthropomorphics
Albedo Anthropomorphics, or Albedo for short, was a furry comic book anthology series which was credited with starting the furry comic book subgenre that featured sophisticated stories with funny animals primarily intended for an adult audience...
and Critters
Critters
Critters was an animal anthology comic book published by Fantagraphics Books from 1985 to 1990 under the editorship of Kim Thompson.Prior to Furrlough and Genus, this was the longest running funny animal anthology comic book series. The title lasted for 50 issues...
.
Current edition
In 2004, Sanguine ProductionsSanguine Productions
Sanguine Productions Ltd. is a role-playing game production house founded in 1997. Their games include Ironclaw, Jadeclaw, Albedo: Platinum Catalyst, Usagi Yojimbo, and Noggle Stones.- External links :* official website...
published ALBEDO: PLATINUM CATALYST, the current edition of the role-playing game. The game was published as a single softcover with source material, rules of engagement, and sample characters. Most notable are its attention to details of small-unit tactics using near-future and far-future weaponry, in the same vein as Tom Clancy
Tom Clancy
Thomas Leo "Tom" Clancy, Jr. is an American author, best known for his technically detailed espionage, military science, and techno thriller storylines set during and in the aftermath of the Cold War, along with video games on which he did not work, but which bear his name for licensing and...
's Rainbow Six and other "techno thrillers", as well as using genetically-engineered
Genetic engineering
Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct human manipulation of an organism's genome using modern DNA technology. It involves the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism of interest...
people as a morality
Morality
Morality is the differentiation among intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good and bad . A moral code is a system of morality and a moral is any one practice or teaching within a moral code...
play for 20th century geopolitics
Geopolitics
Geopolitics, from Greek Γη and Πολιτική in broad terms, is a theory that describes the relation between politics and territory whether on local or international scale....
.
Play style and mechanics
Albedo: Platinum Catalyst is characterized by the notable player-controlled troupe of characters, the main character and four supporting retinue. The main character is more fleshed out than his supporting characters which typically have 3 stats: Species, morale, job description, along with a weapon of some sort.Secondary characters tend to get killed off rather quickly, but if they manage to survive enough missions, they get a Morale boost. Your typical green soldier has 1 morale point if they Trust their commanding officer—unless the Storyteller says otherwise, this is true. Loyalty, earned completing three missions with the main character, allows 3 morale points. Morale is a character's ability to keep cool, every time he's shot at or an explosion goes off nearby, supporting characters lose one point of morale. Main characters have a different stat that works the same way, but is also used for other things: Drive.
In Albedo, higher skill gets you a larger sided die. Skill rank 1 gives you the smallest: 1d4, 2 points gives you 1d6 all the way up to rank 5 giving you 1d12. That's not all though, you can decide to take a test in one of several manners: Basic, Pushing, Risking, Breezing, and Rote.
Rote is the "take 10" of Albedo, you get your skill ranks + 1. This is business as usual.
Basic is for those things that you fail sometimes, but need higher than a 2 on the die.
Pushing is doing things better. The unusual circumstances where you need to succeed. You grab twice as many dice as you normally would and roll them and take the better (Pushing is the one of two ways to Overwhelmingly Succeed: simply, both dice meet or beat the target)
Risking is for those times when you need to reach beyond your normal capacity because regular dice aren't enough and only necessary if you have 4 ranks or fewer. Simply grab the next size die and take your chances.
Breezing is the last method, where the character is overqualified for the job at hand and wants to outperform. This is similar to Pushing, only you take the sized die of half your skill ranks and roll twice as many (the second way to overwhelmingly succeed, and the reason why you buy over 5 ranks in a skill).
Previous editions
Written by Craig Hilton and Paul KiddPaul Kidd
-Career:Before pursuing a career in writing Kidd had worked at Beam Software, an Australia-based game developer. He is credited as, among other things, the writer, director and lead designer of Nightshade, an ambitious action-adventure title for the NES....
, it was originally published as a box set in 1988 by Thoughts & Images and consisted of 4 books: Player's Manual, Equipment Description, Referee's Manual and Tlakatan Scenario (sample scenario). The RPG was later revised and published by Chessex
Chessex
Chessex is an American company that manufactures and sells dice, primarily to the role-playing game market. It also offers other accessories of the kind used in role-playing games.- Skyrealms of Jorune :...
in 1993 as a softcover. There is one companion sourcebook and a pair of ready-made scenarios, also in softcover:
- Albedo Ship Sourcebook (Kidd, Gallacci - Chessex, 1995), rules for ship design and statistics for various spaceships.
- The Drift (Kidd - Chessex, 1994), an adventure scenario in space.
- Zho-Chaka (Kidd - Chessex, 1994), an adventure scenario on a ConFed planet.
There also exists a third-party guide to converting Albedo for use with the GURPS
GURPS
The Generic Universal RolePlaying System, or GURPS, is a tabletop role-playing game system designed to allow for play in any game setting...
RPG system, written by Fred M. Sloniker and called, appropriately enough, GURPS Albedo.