stellar reviews

https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/comments/9yzghg/review_of_degenesis_rebirth_edition/

>Yesss love Degenesis! I bought the physical copy a few years back and it's really something
special. Hope to see more of it in this subreddit.

>>While I love the world and art of Degenesis, I found the books singularly designed
against actually being useful at the table. It lacks many features I would consider indispensable
(ruin generators, loot tables, settlement generators, player-facing reference sheets) and has
further hiccups that that can only be described as bizarre (cults aren't listed in alphabetical
order, there's no price given for a day's rations, several monsters including basic human
tribesmen have no statblocks).
It's a book designed to be read, not played; as a game-book, I found it more or less
useless.

>>>Unlike SotDL, for example, Degenesis is definitely not a low-prep game.

I actually read your review last night and your comment about tables made me realize that over
years of running post-apocalypse games my use of random tables has tapered off to about zero.
So the fact that Degenesis doesn't include them didn't even register with me. I can see why if as a
GM you find ruin generators, loot tables, etc. useful, their omission would be annoying.

The other items you mention don't really phase me either, because they are fairly trivial to
overcome (make up the pricing, which would likely vary from place to place; create three or four
basic statblocks for tribesmen). So while it has gaps and minor annoyances as a game book,
collectively they're not all that important to me personally. But that's also based on my
expectations. In my experience games with deep, complex settings require more effort from the
GM than other games, and I'm OK with that because setting immersion is so important to me.
But it's easy to see how for other people those annoyances would be showstoppers.

>>>>Yeah, the expectation gap counts for a lot. Not being able to run something off the top of
my head / with minimal prep is a no-starter for me, and I tend to see that factor (how easy it is
to run and teach) as separate from the setting.

More's the pity, because of how cool this setting is.

>>>>>I tend to sync with what you say u/unpossible_lads.
Degenesis has a setting so deep and well written that it is the selling point, and the motivating
factor for everybody at the table.

Our typical session is 3h30 of play and 1h to 2h of discussing what happened, and everybody
discussing their theories and their discoveries in the world. Even if most of them have been or
are Degenesis GM at the table.

I would also like to say that a lot of things have been made by the community - and also by
myself - to help people lead Degenesis games. You can look after the Cluster to have NPCs
generators, randomized lists of elements, name generators, and other useful tools. There is also
the Codex, that you can find in the Cluster - in the download section - that I wrote myself. It
gives some ideas about how I advise to and how not to GM Degenesis - or at least some pitfalls I
know for this setting/universe.

>>>>>>Our typical session is 3h30 of play and 1h to 2h of discussing what

happened, and everybody discussing their theories and their discoveries in the world.

That reminds me a great deal of the discussions we used to have after Eclipse Phase sessions, for
similar reasons. That level of immersion isn't for everyone, but I find it enjoyable.

Re: The Cluster, do you know if it is still being updated?

>I do find this enjoyable too ! It's what keeps the entire party so excited. We only had one
neophyte in the group, and now he is extremely engaged in the universe because he finds it
amazing and super rich !

Cluster-wise : Yeah the Cluster keeps getting new content. Not later than last week I added a list
of cryptic names to be used alongside prophecies or the Apocalyptic Tarot !

The thing is the Cluster needs to be crowdsourced. So far everybody can contribute to it, but not
everybody knows it. So we are facing a crisis of : how do we let people know they can do it ?

Also, we are working hand in hand with SMV to redo their website, and it takes a lot of our free
time !

http://www.gamingrespawn.com/board-game-reviews/39239/degenesis-rebirth-edition-
review/

Degenesis: Rebirth Edition Review - Gaming Respawn

by Chris Dove
8-10 minutes

I have quite an expansive collection of various genres of games from tabletop to board games,
card to tile games that cover a vast number of categories and themes. One area of gaming that I
have little experience in is Role Playing Games, that is non-video game RPGs, in any case, as
some of my favourite video game titles are RPGs, and like many others, I have sunk thousands of
hours into some of them.

Today’s review is the RPG mammoth that is Degenesis: Rebirth Edition, which is the second
instalment of this title and the first that I will have ever fully jumped into to experience what an
RPG has to offer, an RPG that I should warn you straight off contains adult themes, language
and artwork.

Much like a lot of video game RPGs, such as The Elder Scrolls or Fallout, a ‘tabletop’ RPG is a
story-driven experience set within the creator’s real or fictional world. Players will create their
own playable characters (PCs), each have their own skills and traits aiming to upgrade their PCs
throughout the story which could have them battling their way through a monster-infested
dungeon or sneaking aboard a Star Destroyer to rescue a Princess. PCs may find better weapons,
maps, supplies and so on throughout the journey whilst interacting with non-playable characters
(NPCs) to glean information from or barter for useful items.

Walking PCs through this experience is the role of a Games Master (GM) who is responsible for
creating a story using the source material given by the creator. The GM must know the world
inside and out, every race, culture, enemy, etc. and can add to these with their own NPCs and
locations to enhance the experience.

A GM will describe a situation to the PCs, the location they’re at, what items are close by, which
NPCs are present, etc. They will then ask each PC what they would like to do, such as talk to an
NPC, search a particular area, run away and so on. Depending on what the PC chooses to do, it
will determine how the story progresses, with dice rolls often used to decide encounters or skill
tests.

In short, a tabletop RPG is played within the player’s head and is limited only by the player’s
imagination and a good GM. Now, let’s look at Degenesis:

The year is 2073 AD on planet Earth, which is probably very much akin to the way we live today,
that is until a huge asteroid bombardment struck the planet, creating giant impact craters. The
Earth’s plates and crust begin to break up, resulting in volcanoes erupting, seas and rivers
drying up or being replaced by lava, acid rainfalls, and a pretty devastating tsunami hits Africa.
Basically, civilisation breaks down as the Earth’s landscape, notably Europe and Africa, which is
what Degenesis focuses on, changes irreparably. This apocalyptic event is called the Eshaton.
Humans survived this violent ‘fire’ period, but a second major ordeal was about to be dealt to
Homosapiens in the form of a new Ice Age that will cover the majority of Europe. As the climates
shifted and Europeans struggle to eke out an existence, Africa’s deserts turn to jungles, and its
inhabitants flourish.

The year is now 2595 AD, the ice has retreated, rivers, trees, and grass return, and the Earth as a
whole has begun to look a little like its old self. Humans have now broken down into seven main
cultures, although many more live outside of these. For example, what used to be Germany is
now Borca, Poland and part of Russia are now Pollen, and Spain is Hybrispania. Within these
seven cultures are thirteen cults, such as the Judges, who wander the wastelands armed with
great hammers bringing law, order and judgement to those they encounter. Or the Spitalians
(my personal favourite) who are a mix between doctors, scientists & priests that hunt down
‘creatures’ that threaten mankind’s existence and were once in fact inhabitants of Earth before
the asteroids brought within them plant life that had begun to mutate humans and animal kind
alike: This is called Homo Degenesis.

Degenesis comes in the form of two books, the first being Primal Punk and the second
Katharsys. Primal Punk, which explains the history of events, provides two maps of the new
world, information on the lore, including cultures and ranking systems, basically all the building
blocks of the environments in which you will be playing.

The second book, Katharsys, walks players through character building from start to finish,
beginning with a quick explanation of character building and then going through the attributes,
skills, body (physical), agility, charisma, intellect, psyche and instinct stats. As with most RPGs,
the characters’ attributes will start the campaign a little on the low side, with players given a set
number of points to boost them at the start but increase as you travel further through the
experience.

The book also explains the basic mechanics of the game in which players will have a number of
actions per turn depending on in-game factors to make choices of what they would like their
character to do. Players then use up to twelve D6s to resolve issues, such as combat, lock
picking, rock climbing, pick pocketing, basically any action/decision made by players through
skill tests: rolling 4, 5, or 6s are considered passes, with 6s also counting as triggers, which could
give the players bonuses.

Katharsys then gives advice to GMs on adventure creation and basic hints and tips on how to
run a campaign. It also has the beginnings of a campaign to get players started if required,
although creating your own from scratch would be preferable.

Both books have short stories throughout that add to the flavour, as well as giving players a
small glimpse into the world of Degenesis.

I obviously can’t talk you through much more of the game as it will change from player to player:
Someone may play as a wealthy merchant who has hired a number of people with various skills
in order for them to achieve their goal, whilst someone else might create a power-hungry
warlord who is intent on taking over the Borca and rule as much of Europe as possible.

I played a minute part of Degenesis, literally scratching the surface of its potential, which if
played in full could provide enough source material to last players decades.

What I really enjoyed about Degenesis is that the creators have provided the players with such
an in-depth, expansive and involved world for them to explore but have by no way been
oppressive or linear in the ways that players can experience it; the source material is vast but to
the point. Add into all this the ridiculously high level and quantity of artwork included spurring
the imagination on: Speaking of the artwork, it is probably the best that I have ever seen from a
tabletop game. Some of the images actually look real, and the designers didn’t just think ‘we’ll
put the odd bit here and there’, there is tons of art depicting all the cultures, creatures, weapons,
maps and so much more. The art also expertly captures the mood and feeling of the game and
surroundings of the world in which you play. It’s not just the artwork that is top notch; the
production of both books is stylish, clean, easy to read whilst offering variety and also being
extremely well presented.

The gameplay is clean and basic. For example, if you are being attacked and need to avoid a
dagger cut, the GM may have you test your agility. After rolling dice and you happen to pass,
then your character might sidestep the cut unhurt; if you fail the roll, then your character could
take a flesh wound. If you’re bartering with a shop owner for a new weapon, then you may test
charisma, or if you decide to attempt to steal the weapon, then you might test your agility and
psyche.

Throughout my campaign I enjoyed the fact that players genuinely felt under pressure to make
the correct decisions or to roll enough passes to escape the clutches of a Spore Beast or defuse a
small bomb that is about to explode at the centre of a packed marketplace.

I loved the environment that has been created, but there is so much material to read that it could
be overwhelming to the point of being off-putting for some. By no means can you buy Degenesis
and immediately begin playing, a fair amount of groundwork between GM and players needs to
be carried out first, although it certainly is rewarding once done and you begin your adventure.

For more games like Degenesis: Rebirth Edition, visit Asmodee or find your nearest games store.

Developer: Christian Gunter, Marko Djurdjevic

Art: Marko Djurdjevic et al

Publisher: SIXMOREVODKA

RRP: £99.00

https://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/17/17506.phtml

In Thy Blood is a 104 page adventure module for the incredible Degenesis: Rebirth, a post-
apocalyptic genre masterpiece that threads the needle of being very traditional and very avant-
garde. My review of the core game can be found here
[https://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/16/16715.phtml]. In Thy Blood is also somewhat of a
multimedia experience, supported by downloads hosted on the Degenesis home page (be careful
to avoid spoilers).

The set up for this adventure is simple. The players are tasked with investigating a murder that
took place in the somewhat isolated city of Lucatore, an important Anabaptist stronghold. The
city is populated by religious fundamentalists who are simultaneously welcoming, secretive, and
severe. At the center of the city is a fortified monastery that's off limits to all but the most
faithful and politically powerful. The visual journey to the region of Purgare, the city of Lucatore,
and finally into the cloister itself is done masterfully, supported by maps, isometric cut-outs of
buildings, and gorgeous illustrations that truly immerse the reader (and players) in these
environments.

The cast of this adventure is as compelling as its environs. Most are represented not only in the
modules proper adventure text, but also by portraits, stat blocks, and small vignettes articulating
either their outward demeanor, their secret motives, their world views, or a combination of all
three. A handful of the most important NPCs are featured in stunning full page or half page art
pieces, each coinciding with a scene that actually takes place in the adventure text. Further, each
NPC is driven by both political and personal motives that mingle in interesting ways. It goes a
long way to show the intersections and entanglements that occur between the Cults (the heroic
groups the players represent), the Cultures (regional identity, Purgare in this case), and the
Clans (the disruptive groups/movements that inhabit a region). If the core book is a bit
overwhelming in its treatment of this socio-political complexity, In Thy Blood's laser focus on a
handful of important factional relationships makes it a better primer for introducing readers
and players to these concepts.

As a product, In Thy Blood presents an intriguing environment and a web of intimate

relationships and betrayals that propel the drama toward crisis, and it does so with the
production values only sixmorevodka is capable of. I will absolutely use this adventure and run
it for my players. However, it's utility as a gaming aid deserves some careful caveating.

There are some approaches In Thy Blood takes that do not jive with how I would approach
adventure running/building, and I'm sure I'm not alone in this. The adventure is written
primarily in a third-person narrative form that focuses the camera on NPCs and their
interactions. The approach makes the book delightful to read and consume, but sometimes feels
like you're reading an established story more than an interactive gaming aid. There are quite a
few scenes in the module that are useful to drive the plot, but the game master will either need
to do some artful railroading to get the players there or find other ways to disseminate the same
information/drama. Some of the "hooks" the module uses to drive play are antiquated. For
example, there are frequent "perception checks" to see if the players notice important clues,
where failure to notice a thing results in an interesting scene or side-bar never happening. I'm
convinced that many GMs, even those who run "traditional" games, eschew this practice
entirely. There are other design choices, like very detailed stat-blocks for most of the NPCs,
which emphasize a style of gaming prioritization and play that I have little use for. I could go on,
but most of these gripes are counter-balanced by the extremely useful and evocative setting
materials, and by the simple fact that every adventure module, and RPG for that matter, insists
on using what you like and ignoring what you don't.

A final and important thing worth mentioning. This is a standalone module but it appears to
have hooks into other Degenesis products, from recurring NPCs to artifacts/events that take on
new meaning in later modules. Further, the final "loot" in this module is part of what appears to
be a methodical, mysterious way of slowly revealing the origins of the Eschaton and deepest,
darkest secrets of the Degenesis universe. It's exciting to re-evaluate the book in the context of a
much larger conspiracy.

Style: Another mold-breaking 5 for the sixmorevodka crew. In my opinion, this is the best art
and design house in the world of tabletop gaming, and by a land slide.

Substance: A begrudging 3.5. I really wanted to rank this product lower in this category on
account of my struggles with some of its design choices, but what it brings to readers/players in
setting immersion, practical applications of factional politics, exciting maps, and adventure
hooks more than counters this.

https://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/16/16715.phtml

Review of Degenesis: Rebirth - RPGnet RPG Game Index

16-20 minutes
Diatribe

Degenesis is hard. Art is hard.

Whether it is music, film, visual arts, or even videogames, I have felt two extremes when
confronted with serious and challenging works of art. On one extreme, I've been annoyed and
irritated by artists whose work is so cryptic and inaccessible that it is impossible for me to
process in a meaningful way. I get defensive and devolve into lazy ad hominem attacks on the
artist. On the other extreme, there are some truly esoteric works that I absolutely love, that truly
speak to me and in many ways represent my world view, yet I am hard-pressed to find others
who share that opinion. I try to my hardest to contextualize those works for others and extol
their virtues, but it is usually wasted effort. Folks just shrug, "It's not for me." Both of these
extremes make me miserable, but that's how art goes. However, I have never had a tabletop role-
playing game put me through that mental exercise I have always associated with those other
mediums. That is, until I spent several hours pouring through Degenesis: Rebirth, trying to
unravel its mysteries.

At its most basic, Degenesis: Rebirth is a game about civilization starting over from scratch after
apocalyptic events obliterate most of the planet and the human species. All the hallmarks and
flavors of the post-apocalyptic genre, from Fallout's vaults to Mad Max's barbarisms, are here.
Imagine the medieval Dark Ages, except double down on the plagues and barbarians, add in
some high-tech relics, gun fetishization, and drug abuse, and then ensure that the evils lurking
in our midsts are considerably more twisted and insideous than anything the medieval mind
could have imagined. It is pretty much a love letter to the post-apocalyptic genre. Mechanically,
it is a skill-based system using dice pools, emphasizing problem solving, curiosity, and good
planning over dice-chucking, but giving plenty of combat options for those who embrace violent
conflict in their games. All this is, well, doable. We're gamers, afterall. Been there, done that.
Yet, despite this, Degenesis challenged me considerably.

Before I get to why this game was so challenging, I need to address what *was not* the source of
this anguish: neither the mature themes of the game nor the author's approach to tabletop role-
playing were troublesome.

Let's begin with one of the most frequently addressed aspects of this game: it is intended for a
mature audience. It features a considerable amount of body horror, less than flattering social
commentary about our species, and disturbing fictional vignettes featuring dark rituals and
wanton violence. There are also several pieces of art that depict nudity ranging from the
purposefully titilating to the wretchedly grotesque. None of this bothered me. In fact, the dark
themes are so consistent and relentless that they quickly cease to shock the reader. It is all part
and parcel of living on Earth after the Eshaton. Moving on.
Despite how gorgeously produced this game is, how serious the game's tone is, how cryptic its
passages are, or even how many literary and historical quotes pop from its pages, the author's
never lose sight that that this a tabletop role-playing game they have created. From the
obligatory explanation of what RPGs are to the discussion of how to balance a party with
fighters, healers, and support characters, Degenesis's take on gaming is about as traditional as it
gets. Mechanically, this is a game about rolling crits, killing stuff, amassing loot, and leveling up.
There is zero pretention here.

So why did this game challenge me so? And why do I simultaneously think it is absolutely an
important work that every gamer should know about, but would absolutely not want more
games like it?

In a medium where absolute clarity of setting, rules, and design objectives are the hallmarks of a
good game, Degenesis makes its reader *work* for every bit of ground they gain in making sense
of it, and does so in the most striking way. Virtually all of Degenesis's several hundred pages of
setting materials are presented indirectly: through fictional vignettes, through the voice of
biased and untrustworthy characters, or through passive narrators seemingly incapable of
describing a scene or being without relying entirely on rumor, innuendo, and suggestion, as if
too scared to tell it like it is. The prose is frequently beautiful, frequently disturbing, always
expertly written, and always ambiguous. There are very few explanations, vivisections, or "real
world equivalents," and very little pandering to the reader.

Role-playing games are many things, but they are undoubtedly teaching manuals. They teach
the reader how the game is played and teach the setting's internal logic, so it can be abstracted in
many different types of siutations that occur in game. Well-written games are delivered to
readers as if a tutor, knowing her pupil's baseline understanding of the world, is tailoring her
lessons in a way to maximize her pupil's learning potential. Degenesis does not have a tutor: it
has a mystic and a maniac speaking in riddles and shielding her pupil's eyes from truths he is
not ready for. This is a game world essentially taught by and presented by its inhabitants. This
approach powerfully reinforces the mystery, ambiguity, and mysticism of the setting. Only in
those sections where clarity is absolutely essential (i.e. game rules and mechanics) do we have a
direct and trustworthy voice.

Many would complain that this game is inaccessable. They would be absolutely right. It is a
tough nut to crack. In saying that, I am in no way saying it takes some kind of superior intellect
to grok this game. Not at all. Again, at its core, Degenesis an extremely simple and traditional
game. Further, it is a totally repsectable opinion that one should not have to work to understand
a game's setting and internal logic, especially when it is a gaming convention to ensure the exact
opposite happens. Frankly, many grown-ups don't have time for that shit. This is an absolutely
valid criticism, but it also exemplifies how edgy this game is and how its creators should be
lauded for their risk taking. Degenesis might just be *the* single most gorgeously produced and
high budget tabletop role-playing game ever released, and its promotion, featuring incredible
cinematic trailers, signify a major financial investment. Despite all this, the game's creators did
not compromise on their artistic vision to reach the largest audience or the lowest common
denominator. It is why I did not hessitate to pay a premium for the game's Black Edition... for
me, it is art patronage akin to a different time, instead of thinking about it strictly in terms of
industry pricing and value proposition.

Game Mechanics

At this point in the review, many of you are probably thinking "Cool thesis, bro. But how does it
play?" Don't worry, I got you covered.

Degenesis is a fairly traditional skill-based dice pool system. You make characters composed of 6
high level attributes, each covering a domain of 6 different skills. All your basic killing, sneaking,
fixing, studying, surviving, flirting, frightening, lying, cheating, stealing skills are present. The
only twist in the skill space is that there are pairs of null-sum skills where if you have any ranks
in one, you can't have any ranks in the other. "Faith" and "Willpower" are one such pair... you
either believe in a higher power or you believe in yourself. Sure, a character might believe in
both, but when push comes to shove (e.g. your mind is being crushed by a Psychonaut), there is
no riding the fence. "Focus" and "Primal" have similar duality. The selection of these skills in
particular must be done thoughtfully, for they determine a character’s acumen with Potentials:
cool powers characters can use in combat.

The dice pool system uses D6's only. A result of 1-3 is considered a failure, while a 4-6 is a
success. Generally, a character is trying to roll X number of successes to achieve a goal. When a
player rolls a 6, however, it is considered a trigger. A trigger can be used to augment the
outcome of a roll in a unique way or activate special abilities or weapon properties. Triggers
work very similar to how Advantage works in "Edge of the Empire," for those who have played it.
Triggers do add a little spice and complexity to what is otherwise a very traditional dice pool
system.

If you have seen combat in any skill-based dice pool system, you've seen combat in Degenesis. I
don't mean to be dismissive, but there isn't much new here. That isn't a bad thing. The combat is
serviceable. It does what the game's authors want it to do: lethal combat that rewards and
reinforces many types of builds, and insists that some builds approach combat in different ways.
Characters have both health pools as well as an Ego pool: the measure of a character's mental
and emotional vitality. Ego can be spent to augment dice rolls or activate abilities, but if you run
out, you pass out. Plus there are attacks that go after Ego, so there is always risk involved in
spending this resource. There are opposed rolls made against characters "actively" defending,
and there are modified rolles made against characters "passively" defending.
Characters

When creating a character, players settle on a Culture, a Concept, and a Cult, all of which effect
the character in mechanical ways. By Culture, the game refers to what region and society the
character grew up in and feels part of, and will likely determine the character's ethnicity and
world view. By Concept, the game refers to what literary archetype the character will be, loosely
based on a modified Tarot system. Will the character be Iago or Othello? Genghis Khan or
Machiavelli? Here, players can essentially signal to the GM how they intend to play their
character. Even better, their are slight mechanical incentives to actually playing this chosen
archetype. Lastly, there are Cults, which are the heart and soul of Degenesis the "game."

If you distill Cults down to their simplest pieces, Cults are basically character classes, but the
strengths and weaknesses of those character classes are defined by each cult's world view,
resources, specialities, and agenda. While the game's very basic XP system permits a somewhat
linear progression in terms of skills and power, it is promotion within a cult's ranks, by adhering
to its scriptures and strictures of the cult (along with very strategic XP spending) that unlocks
exponential growth. XP can be spent to increase one's ability with firearms, sure, but rank can
grant unlimited access to the cult's extensive armory. Fortunately, rank is neither as simple as
skill requirements needed to move up the ranks, nor as boring as unlocking cooler items... and
this is where Degenesis's game design gets really exciting.

Every rank in every cult essentially describes a characters role in a society. These roles can vary
wildly, from being a lowly book-keeper in a mercantile cult, to a soldier garrisoned at a fortress,
to being a woman in a fundamentalist cult who has been marked for being unfaithful to her
arranged husband. All of the benefits and baggage of each rank ensures that each character has a
distinct place in society and comes loaded with interesting backstory (and potentially conflict)
right out of the gate. In short, Cult design reinforces the game's setting. While the lower
advances in cult rank often result in slight increases in responsibility, prestige, and resources,
the higher ranks result in strategic benefits and influence: the ability to cast important political
votes, or create a splinter-cult/clan/cell. The transition from tactically effective to strategically
effective is both a staple of real life (e.g. individual contributor to manager to CEO) as well as
fiction (e.g. apprentice to wizard to lich), but is sadly missing from most games. Degenesis nails
it. A powerful character doesn't delve dungeons anymore: she has her minions do it.
Alternatively, it is not the faithful warrior who is powerful, it is the holy person issuing the
fatwas who has the power. Lastly, most of the cults have multiple career paths rewarding and
reinforcing diverse character builds. For example, a cult that emphasizes the importance of
technology and knowledge and expects accountability (i.e. trackability) from its members still
has a need for a sect that lives off the books and does the higher-ups' dirty work… thus, both a
studious clerical worker and a wandering mercenary both have opportunities for cult
advancement.
Setting

Degenesis presents a staggering amount of game setting content. Book I: Primal Punk, is
entirely setting material, and defines the game's known world, primarily what's left of Europe
and North Africa. Each region faces a somewhat similar crisis: mutation, sickness, insanity, and
dark influence caused by an alien spore called Sepsis, originating from asteroids that caused the
world's end, the Eshaton. However, that crisis is manifesting in unique ways in each region, and
is being addressed by the cults in different ways. Some cults help proliferate the problem, others
destroy it with fungicide and hellfire, while most cults are doing something in between. Each
region, richly and thoroughly described, is a campaign setting unto itself, set into motion by the
political squabbles (or downright war) between regions and cults, the unique ways in which
Sepsis is manifesting in the downfall or degeneration of humanity, as well as the machinations
of Marauders (god-like monstrosities that strike like natural disaster, fulfilling an agenda
unbeknownst to mortals). In short, there seems to be an endless supply of drama, and a million
excuses for dispirate cultists to work together long enough to address local problems that
inevitably become regional problems. The game's introductory adventure, "Embargo," does not
even bring the Sepsis meta-plot nor the Marauders into the fold. It goes to show how much
conflict and adventure material this setting has to spare.

The setting materials are generally introduced in the indirect and literary means discussed at the
beginning of this review, but powerfully reinforced by the game's art. Introducing a new IP is a
ballsy move nowadays. If Hollywood has taught us anything, it is that mindless remixes of old IP
over and over again are the safest bet, economically. Despite our inherent creativity and setting
promiscuity (e.g. I love Star Wars, Star Trek, AND BSG!), us gamers are generally loath to take
on something new. It takes a lot of time and effort to grok a new setting, and even moreso to sell
that new setting to our gaming groups. We all get Elves, we all get Jedi… but what the hell is
Sepsis? Degenesis addresses the problem of introducing a new IP with a technique that few, if
any, other RPG studio could muster: the best RPG art ever and an overwhelming amount of it.
This is a game art equivalent of shock and awe, a true tour de force of creativity, skill, and mood.
Every single image, without exception, is a masterwork of dark fantasy / science fiction, the
types of images that kickstart an artist's career. It is an absolute clinic. This cannot be
overstated. Characters, creatures, equipment, scenes of conflict and esctasy, sprawling
environments, symbology... everything is illustrated masterfully and consistently. It allows a GM
to say "This is what a Spitalian looks like. This is what a Psychonaut looks like. This is what the
Apline Fortress looks like. This is what a Surge Tank looks like. This is what the region of Borca
looks like." Basically, this incredible art enables rapid buy-in of a new IP that competes with the
images and icons of the IP's we all take for granted. Seriously, everyone who I have shown these
books too has cursed audibly.

Conclusion
Scoring this game’s Style is easy… this is a mold-breaking 5. When it comes to production
values, art quality and content, layout that reinforces the theme, and prose just dripping in
mood, I can’t think of anything in the genre that competes. This is what a 5 should look like.

Substance is a different story: a solid 3. It was difficult to assign an “average” score to a game
with such a rich setting and an enormous amount of thoughtful, well-written, and well-
conceived content exploring virtually every angle of the post-apocalyptic genre. But here’s the
rub: mechanically, this game takes no chances. It is not a mechanically bad game… in fact, I’d
say it fairs better than many traditional skill-based role-playing games I’ve read or played. Yet,
there was nothing about how this game is played that ever broached the excitement, passion,
and potential of the setting. Cults came close, but at the end of the day, I’m not convinced the
game’s designers fully appreciated the cults' potential as a truly breakthrough approach to
traditional tabletop classes, akin to Vampire: The Masquerade in the 90’s. So close, yet so far.
Still, folks who like fairly traditional skill-based systems (e.g. Shadowrun, Traveller, GURPS,
White Wolf games, etc.) will find a lot of comfort here, and perhaps appreciate the game’s
mechanical restraint.

https://unpossiblejourneys.com/degenesis-rebirth-edition-review/

Degenesis: Rebirth Edition — The Review - Unpossible Journeys

21-27 minutes

TL;DR

Degenesis: Rebirth is a visually astounding, sumptuous, two-volume, 704-page passion project

— a richly-layered, horrific, intrigue-riddled, techno-mystical post-apocalypse Earth that feels
like it was discovered rather than created. This is truly a game for players who enjoy being
immersed in a deep, artfully-revealed setting. If you are looking for flashy system innovation
you’ll have to look elsewhere, but the straightforward KatharSys mechanics incorporate some
clever touches and are well-suited to the tone of the game. Read on for more details.

Context for This Review

What is life like for player characters, what is their place in society, and what are the
complexities of their culture? What is going on around them, and how does their place in the
world influence their actions?

For some role-players those questions aren’t terribly important, falling into the category of fluff.
For me as a game master and as a player exploring those questions is one of the primary joys of
roleplaying. So I tend to gravitate toward games that feature dense, complex settings. The
worlds of Glorantha and Eclipse Phase, for example, are near and dear to my heart because of
their originality and breadth, as well as the way they weld seemingly disparate elements into an
immersive whole.

I say all this because it’s important for you to know my biases. There is no such thing as a
neutral review of a creative work, whether it be of a novel, a movie, or a tabletop RPG. And you
should know up front where I’m coming from when I say Degenesis: Rebirth is one of the most
impressive games I’ve ever encountered.

The End of the Beginning

The world of Degenesis is revealed through gorgeous illustrations, vibrant two-page spreads,
bold maps, stunning layout, and voluminous, sometimes oblique text. This is not a setting meant
to be easily mastered. You don’t read straight through it — you explore, skimming from section
to section. You dip into the spore fields of Franka, then absorb the strange wonders of the
Anubians before careening off to the lush splendors of Tripoli or the horrors of the
Psychokinetics.

Degenesis is set not in the wide-open deserts of Australia or the vast wasteland of a blasted
America, but in the lands surrounding the Mediterranean. This is Europe and northern Africa
hundreds of years after the apocalypse, a moment when civilization has rebounded but faces a
relentless threat.

There are no irradiated mutants in Degenesis. It was a meteor strike that delivered the
Eschaton, the end of the old world and the beginning of the new. The meteors tore into the
landscape and brought a horrifying alien biology with them — the Primer, foundation of a host
of terrors. Massive spore fields now cover the land, and the humans they infect become Homo
Degenesis — warped, powerful, and supremely confident that Earth is their dominion.

Cultures

Civilization is spread across several Cultures that have risen from the remnants of the old world:

In the the frozen tundra of Pollen, hardy wanderers trek from one cold oasis to another,
defending themselves from Psychonauts and strangers alike.
Borca, cut in two by the massive meteor impact known as the Reaper’s Blow, is home to the
thriving metropolis of Justitian and its rules-bound Protectorate.
Haunted by the Dushani, Balkhan is a land where the power of the Cults is weak, and fighting
is a way of life.
 Franka is dominated by swamps and spore fields. Pheromancers work to overwhelm the land
with their insect legions.
In Purgare family is everything. The home of the Anabaptists is also where Psychokinetics
have risen to take on humanity.
Hybrispania seethes with rebellion against the occupying Africans. Pregnoctics are welcomed
as oracles, and Guerreros fight for freedom.
The Eschaton led to a literal flowering of Africa and concurrent rise to economic and military
dominance. Tripoli, with its powerful Bank of Commerce, is the hub of the world.

A lineup of Hellvetic, Neolybian, Spitalian, and Anabaptist Cultists represents the diversity of
Degenesis
Cults and Clans

Across the land Cults carry out their own mysterious plans, each seeking to create a better world
in their own fashion. Each approaches the Primer invasion differently. The Cults engage in
convoluted stratagems against each other, form alliances where necessary, and stay vigilant
against the smaller but often dangerous Clans that pursue their own goals.

The rigid Spitalians fight to cleanse the earth of the Primer and its ilk.
Information is power, and the secretive Chroniclers gather and trade it.
Hellvetics are an austere army without a country, controlling passage through the Alps and
hiring out to those who need their expertise.
Judges enforce laws within the Protectorate, sometimes in Justitian’s Hall of Justice,
sometimes with the swing of an iron hammer.
Scrappers sift through scrap, delve into the remains of ancient ruins, and bring back lost
technology and some of the knowledge that created it.
Neolybians establish trade routes, explore the edges of maps, and seek to bring about the kind
of order that leads to profits.
Scourgers are ever-vigilant warriors, the strength that undergirds the African empire.
Keepers of secrets, the Anubians mystics undergo physical transformations as they gain
deeper understanding of both life and death.
The Apocalpytics move in flocks where whim takes them, living with passion, recklessly in the
moment, knowing every day might be their last.
Jehammedans serve God, shepherding their families and hewing to a strict faith.
Anabaptists fight to defeat the Demiurge and prove that humanity is worthy of God.
Memetically-programmed Palers guard the divine Sleepers, cryonauts who are awakened in
waves to guide the world according a plan laid out before the old world died.
Though the Cults hold more power, the Clanners are numerous and bow down to no one.

What the Primer Hath Wrought

Primer forms the building blocks of a takeover of Earth biology. Microscopic spores infect living
things, birthing all manner of twisted horrors, from Rift Centipedes to Acid Jellyfish. Sepsis
burrows deep into the soil, giving rise to massive Mother Spore Fields that can stretch for
kilometers. The Mother Spores contain Burn, a powerful drug. When ingested it takes over its
host, turning that person into a Leperos, a walking spore infestation.

Human children born infected by Mother Spore Fields become Psychonauts (also known as
Abberants). Depending on which Spore Field infected them, they will mutate into one of several
different kinds of Homo Degenesis:

Biokinetics come from the Spore Fields of Pollen, can control arachnid and insect swarms, and
employ horrific powers.
Dushani control creatures of the deep and dark. They have spread from Balkhan and use their
sonic abilities to manipulate minds.
From Franka the Pheromancers have spread, using powerful pheromones to captivate
humans and bring them into a web of blissful stupor. They can control ants, wasps ad other hive
insects.
The Pregnoctics share their visions of the future with the Hybrispaniards and control ancient
creatures such as starfish, urchins, and trilobites.
Bloated, corpulent Psychokinetics manipulate energy in a variety of fearsome ways. They can
control parasites – fleas, leeches, tapeworms, and the like.

Technology

Memetics. The Stream. Cryogenics. Nanotechnolgy. Machine Men. In Degenesis a panoply of

pre-Eschaton technology is commingled with resurrected machinery, scrap-manufactured gear,
and post-Eschaton constructs. Sometimes the ancient technology is obvious, for example the
Surge Tanks that roll into a town and enforce Scourger dominion. At other times it’s hidden —
the memetics that program waves of Sleepers, or the nanites that strengthen the blood of an
exalted few.

The rules provide information on a wide array of weapons, from stones and slings to
submachineguns to Soul Burner rifles. Adventuring gear, transportation, medicines, and other
items are also covered. Degenesis includes rules for combing through scrap, manufacturing new
items, and modifying weapons and other gear for improved performance.

Conflict

Post-apocalypse games often concern themselves primarily with survival, scouring the ruins of
the old world for technological advantage, and building a new civilization. While these goals can
make for engrossing game play, it can be difficult for even the most experienced game master to
turn them into a lengthy, compelling campaign.

Degenesis deftly avoids this trap by placing the Primer at the core of the game. It’s alien,
relentless, a force rather than a being or even an ideology. It shifts, it changes, it gives rise to
new horrors. How characters see themselves in relation to this alien invasion defines a
campaign.

Orbiting closely around that central conflict are the machinations of the Cults, of which player
characters are members. Regardless of their goals, characters will have to maneuver through
complex inter-Cult politics as they pursue their own goals. This is not a game of good versus evil.
There are no Cults without blood on their hands. That said, PCs in Degenesis are not rootless
murder hobos. They are tied to Culture and Cult. Called upon to make difficult choices, what
they do tangibly affects their reputation and standing within their Cult and with others.

So what do player characters do in Degenesis? What sorts of adventures can GMs build for
them? Here are a few examples:

PCs can engage in investigations. This a world rife with conspiracies and secrets, and
knowledge about what’s really going on can be immensely valuable.
They can work to further the cause of their Cults, keeping others from gaining the upper hand.
Psychonauts threaten to overwhelm humanity. PCs can use their wits and skill to thwart the
goals of these enormously powerful foes, and perhaps eventually confront them directly.
They can fight for the cause of independence or to strengthen centralized control, be it from
Tripoli or Justitian.
Keeping disagreements between Cults from turning into serious conflicts requires a unique
combination of unbending determination and diplomatic flexibility.
Many areas have long been abandoned to the Spores. But what if some of them hold resources
that could be useful in fighting the Primer?
Before Eschaton, humanity wielded great power. Hunting for artifacts from the lost past is
dangerous but potentially very rewarding.

As a GM one of the things I look for in a game world is hooks I can use to create my own
adventures. Tidbits of information, notes about hidden conflicts, scraps, hints, references to
fragments of ideas – these are the things that ignite my imagination and help me prepare to run
a campaign. Degenesis provides over a dozen enticing story hooks that can be used individually
or combined to build adventures. Throughout the books there are also liberal sprinklings of
ideas for people, themes, items, locations, and events.

In Degenesis, Culture and Cult are not just fluff; they have mechanical effects.
KatharSys and Characters
While the first volume of Degenesis: Rebirth is purposely diffuse, the second book lays out the
KatharSys game mechanics in a much more straightforward fashion. KatharSys is built around a
d6 dice pool mechanic:

The number of dice rolled is equal to the point value for the Attribute that covers the action,
and the point value for the Skill that applies to the action.
Any important action is assigned a Difficulty number by the game master.
A roll of 4 or higher is a success.
Roll a number of successes equal to or higher than the Difficulty number, and you accomplish
the action.
Every roll of 6 is a Trigger, with multiple Triggers creating more impressive outcomes.
Roll more 1s than successes and you Botch. Botches are as you might suspect, even worse than
simply failing.

Characters are defined by their Attributes (Body, Agility, Charisma, Intellect, Psyche, and
Instinct), and Skills, each of which is associated with a particular Attribute (Ex: Stealth is tied to
Agility). Players build characters by assigning points to Attributes and Skills.

The character’s Culture and Cult provide Attribute and Skill modifiers. For example, coming
from the African Culture, the character Khari would receive +1 to Intellect and Body, and +1 to
the Athletics, Brawl, Expression, Medicine, and Reaction Skills. Selecting the Scourger Cult gives
him +1 to Athletics, Force, Mobility, Stamina, and Reaction. These modifiers are additive.

Two skills, Primal and Focus, are mutually exclusive, and are indicative of how a character
approaches problems. Primal is tied to Instinct, while Focus is tied to Intellect. The same is true
of Faith and Willpower, though both are tied to the Psyche Attribute.

Every character also has a Concept, which is a statement about the character’s motivations that
also provides mechanical benefits. If Khari is given The Traditionalist as his Concept, he receives
a +1 to the Instinct Attribute and to his Legends and Conduct skills.

Each character starts at Rank 1 within their Cult, but can move up in Rank during character
creation. Cult Ranks are important not just because of the benefits they provide to characters,
but also because Ranks fulfill specific roles within a Cult. Sometimes a Cult structure provides
for two different Ranks at the same level. For example, a Rank 2 Scourger could be either a
Hondo, an intimidating warrior, or a Damu, a shrewd scout.

Characters also have access to Potentials, which can be either Common (accessible to anyone) or
Cult-specific. These are legendary maneuvers, extraordinary special skills, and feats of
Willpower or Faith. Each character starts with one Potential at Rank 1. Here’s a Common
Potential that would be appropriate for a Scourger: Unyielding: What is the mind but a muscle
that can be steeled through vehemence and inner peace? The Character can counter a mental
attack by an effort of will once per conflict and gets +1D per Potential level when doing so.

There’s a bit more to it, but these are the basics of character-building. After filling in a few more
details and gearing up, your character is ready to go. But be wary as you go out into the world of
Degenesis. Combat is deadly and healing from serious wounds can take weeks. As the book puts
it:

When two enemies attack each other, anything is possible: a marksman is dropped by a sword
blow; a legendary pit fighter is killed by a pack of farmers with pikes. If you fight, you can die. If
you fight without any tactic or act thoughtlessly, you most certainly will. In the KatharSys,
weapons are violent tools that kill with 2-3 hits. Honorable combat is dangerous and seldom
rewarded. If you want to survive, hit as hard as you can—or run.

Characters advance by way of Experience Points, which are earned for accomplishing goals and
surviving difficult situations. XP can be used to improve Attributes and Skills. This eventually
leads to increased Cult Rank and with it increased responsibilities as well as access to greater
resources.

Building a Campaign

The game mastering section of Degenesis is a useful collection of ideas and suggestions to help
get a campaign rolling. In a world as expansive as Degenesis it can be difficult to think of a
starting point. But the suggested technique for mixing themes, people, locations, items, and
events is a good one.

From the short idea lists provided, a game master can come up with a number of quick
adventure outlines. For example: A Hybrispanian slave has escaped a brutal Neolibyan slaver
and found his way to an ancient fortress where Khari and his Scourger compatriots are
conducting a training mission. Khari is duty-bound to take the slave back. As a Traditionalist he
believes he must return the slave. But his closest colleague is set against this path. Sekai the
Scrapper is a Protector, and she knows what will happen to the slave should he be returned. To
make matters worse, the locals have had enough, and a band of Guerreros are heading to the
fortress to free the slave, by force if necessary.

It’s useful to think about the interaction of Cults when assembling an adventuring group. In
some game worlds factional affiliation is almost ornamental, but in Degenesis it’s extremely
important. So for example an Anubian, a Jehammedan, and an Anabaptist could all be found in
the same group, but there needs to be a strong, believable reason why members of three Cults
that often find each other at odds would be together.
Degenesis includes an adventure, Embargo, that can be placed with minimal modification in a
variety of locales. In published Degenesis adventures there is always a story, and the world is
always in motion. The backstory, motivation, and actions of NPCs are examined in detail. These
characters are not just waiting for the PCs to show up; they’re busy pursuing their own goals.
The adventure is written essentially as a linear narrative with predefined scenes.

To date Sixmorevodka has published three primary supplements: In Thy Blood, The Killing
Game, and Black Atlantic. Each incorporates a meticulously-detailed adventure and serves as a
guide to a particular region, with information about the geography, factions, and key NPCs in
the area. Taken together, they also lay out a densely-woven metaplot that stretches across all
three books. These adventures follow the same underlying structure as Embargo — the PCs are
essentially along for the ride.

As a GM you’ll have to decide up front how you want to engage with these adventures and the
larger metaplot. The locales and NPCs are complex and compelling, and the metaplot is
tremendously inventive and engaging. There are also countless hooks a GM can use to weave in
their own adventures. But while the material in the adventures can be quite helpful, playing
them straight through as written won’t work. Active, engaged players will feel railroaded if you
do. So the best approach is probably the one advised by Erwan Roudaut in The Codex, his useful
collection of Degenesis tips:

The metaplot should be used like a spice. You use it to give a little extra something to your
campaign and make it a bit more exciting at some points. However, don’t use it as the core
ingredient of your story, or you will probably miss it entirely.

This isn’t meant to dismiss the supplements. I’ve read them all, and they’re gorgeously-
produced, the maps and art at times even exceed what’s in the core books. Each features a
wealth of detail, from geography to NPCs to secrets about the inner workings of the world. Black
Atlantic in particular provides a dizzying quantity of material.
Adult Themes

One of the things that most clearly distinguishes Degenesis from most other post-apocalypse
games is its treatment of mysticism and religion. In Degenesis the old religions were not
eradicated, nor were they replaced by the tired trope of worship of the ancients. Instead they
were reborn as new faiths. This reworking provides thoughtful players a way to engage with
questions of belief. It also provides a useful counterpoint to the horrors of the Primer.

Degenesis evidences a European sensibility about sexuality. That said, this isn’t a game about
sex; it’s a game that doesn’t avoid it. Out of dozens of character portraits in the core books, there
are a few images featuring half-naked men and women, and a handful showing full nudity.
Because this is a game that takes place in our world, no matter how far in the future or how
fantastical, the authors placed a disclaimer at the front matter of both of the core books:

Degenesis advocates tolerance and international understanding. The game world of Degenesis
has evolved from ours and distorts it into an imaginary future. Conflicts within the game world
are, of course, not real – and we do not wish for them to be, either. They only exist for
excitement’s sake. Although we know this kind of conflict from films, we urge you to use them
with caution. None of the seven Cultures mentioned in Degenesis is better than any of the
others. All of those Cultures have an equal right to exist in the game world of Degenesis.

We have actively avoided the term “race” common to RPGs as we deem it discriminatory.

We strictly oppose violence and racism. Illustrations of combat action are not meant to
promote violence, but to depict a cruel world we should strive to overcome. Culture and
civilization are the major goals in Degenesis, accompanied by hope. We still recommend
Degenesis for people 16+ as we cannot be sure whether our message and our appeal to humanity
will be understood.

The game fuses dozens of cultures into seven post-Eschaton Cultures. This merging and mixing
feels right. It evokes echoes of cultures we know now without being bound by them. It also keeps
the number of Cultures manageable for a GM.

One aspect of the game’s treatment of cultures also deserves special attention. Degenesis is the
first post-apocalypse game I’ve encountered that didn’t either ignore Africa, use the continent
merely as a battleground for European and American combatants, or declare it wiped out by the
ruin. Geography is destiny, and the changes wrought by the Eschaton favored Africa over
Europe. Africa flourishes; it represents political power, military dominance, and abundance.
Like the empires of the past, its influence is either benign or malignant depending on who you
are. Several African characters play pre-eminent roles in the metaplot, and the African Culture is
presented with nuance and complexity.
Degenesis Online

The Sixmorevodka Degenesis website is full of images and info about the game
Actual play videos
The official forum
Degenesis on Facebook

Buying Degenesis

Degenesis: Rebirth is published by Sixmorevodka, a Berlin-based boutique art studio that does
work for the video game and film industries. Much of the company’s output is produced under
non-disclosure agreements. So part of the rationale for Sixmorevodka lavishing so much
attention on the latest incarnation of Degenesis is to demonstrate the company’s world building,
character development, and story design capabilities. If you haven’t already, check out these two
Degenesis videos, which demonstrate the lengths Sixmorevodka has gone beyond the printed
page:

Sixmorevodka publishes the core books and several supplements in both print and PDF. The
printed books are of uniformly high quality, printed on heavy paper and perfect-bound with
marker ribbons. The PDFs are provided in print and screen resolutions. They’re searchable but
are only hyperlinked from the table of contents. The supplements are, in metaplot sequence:

In Thy Blood (Set in Purgare) — 104 pp

The Killing Game (Set in Southern Franka) — 208 pp
Clans of the Rhône (Clans found in Southern Franka) — PDF only, 22 pp
Rising Ravens (Bridge between The Killing Game and Rising Ravens) — PDF only, 24 pp
Black Atlantic (Set in Briton) – 278 pp

Additional game aids:

GM Screen — Thick 4-panel (2 varieties – Homo Sapiens and Homo Degenesis)

Cult Cards — 13 oversized cards used for tracking player character relationships with other
cults

All of the above can be purchased at the Sixmorevodka webshop. They’re also carried by some
game stores. I ordered In Thy Blood, The Killing Game, and the GM Screen from Alpha Omega
Hobby.

https://www.geeknative.com/63190/our-final-battle-a-review-of-degenesis-rebirth-edition/

Our final battle - a review of Degenesis: Rebirth Edition

Andrew Girdwood
13-16 minutes

I’m trying not to buy any more roleplaying games; I don’t need any more, and especially not fat
hardbacks that strain my poor shelves. But l had to have Degenesis.

All 700 pages from the two core rulebooks spoke to me, in the way books sometimes do,
whispering of impressive quality, originality and fantastic art.
Degenesis is everything the siren hardbacks promised, but no RPG is perfect, and indeed this
game is not for everyone. Let me begin by giving you the headline summary, before diving into a
more in-depth Degenesis review, or losing you to this impactful live-action trailer for the game.

Degenesis: Rebirth Edition is for you if you enjoy playing in a richly detailed sandbox. The first
book; Primal Punk, is entirely about the ravaged world, all 350+ pages of it. There’s not a single
table to be found.

Play this game if you get a kick out of post-apocalyptic settings and humanity’s genuine struggle
to survive. With this RPG you’ll find yourself in a cinematic and scary future.

The second book, Katharsys, is all about the system and character generation. Degenesis is an
excellent game if you and your group enjoy crafting a cohesive and effective squad. Earth is no
longer a kind place, and while Degenesis is rich with opportunities to roleplay, it won’t forgive
weak parties or poor tactics.

What are the red flags then?

I don’t think you’ll enjoy Degenesis if you expect to be able to skim through a core rulebook and
dive straight in. There’s too much here for you to digest. It’s clear how much time has gone into
creating Degenesis, and it feels as if the design team expect no less of a commitment from
potential players.

Degenesis: Rebirth Edition contains adult art. Full frontal male and female nudity happens
more than once, and some of the mutated horrors of the Primer are horrible enough to make you
forget about the wild and naked clan warrior next to you.
Degenesis Rebirth Edition
Degenesis’ game mechanics

I like the game mechanics. The use of triggers to fuel degrees or success or speed is refreshing.

In Degenesis your character determines their Action Number (AN) by adding an attribute to a
skill. In some cases that number will be modified by outside influences such as the temporary
boost or impairment of a drug.

The Action Number becomes d6s that are thrown to equal a Difficulty target. A roll of 4 on any
dice counts as 1 success and 1 success is enough for a task that the Game Master considers
routine.

Triggers are dice which roll 6 and where the Difficulty target has been met. In typical situations
the number of Triggers associated with a roll reveals how well the task was done; 2 Triggers is a
remarkable success and 3 an excellent one.

When the Game Master allows in, characters cooperating with one another can benefit from
Triggers too. The assistant makes the same role as the lead character, at a higher difficulty, and
any Triggers they score become dice for the main character to add to the challenge at hand.

In combat, Triggers bring an abundance of bounces.

Combat in Degenesis

I’ve played through a few combats now, and the system works well. My main frustration was
assigning and then checking the use of items and equipment. I found myself wishing the writers
had been less discursive and more prone to textbook layouts, but this need to flip around
between pages will ease with experience. As would, I hope, my concern about what gear
characters would quickly get their hands on and what would be rare.

Many combinations could build your attack roll. It could be a Body+Brawl roll, or Body+Melee,
or Agility+Projecticles versus someone with Agility+Mobility, a mental or a social with
Pysche+Faith or Pysche+Willpower.

In Degenesis characters also have Ego points. These are spent to buy in advantages, but if they
drop to zero, then the combatant is too drained to continue and flops down on his knees. For
example, you can spend up to three Ego points to boost your initiative.

Ego points are typically lost during mental combat, but things like narcotic poisons can also
drain them.

Of course, physical damage a real problem after the fall of humanity too and Degenesis separates
out flesh wounds from more nasty trauma. The former is effectively a buffer of damage your
character can sustain before suffering traumas.
Character generation in Degenesis

I’m yet to make a quick character for Degenesis. The process takes time. As noted above, the
game urges you to be cooperative when creating characters and think about why and how the
group can function well together.
Degenesis RPG - Rebirth Edition

Characters are built from points in Degenesis and start by assigning a Culture, a Concept and a
Cult. Degenesis bristles with many cultures, concepts and cults so this is no swift choice. The
decision you make here determines how high your maximum scores in specific skills and
attributes can be.
You can also mix and match cultures, concepts and cults reasonably liberally but some
combinations really would be unusual. You would need to talk to the GM first.

For example, if your character is from the Franka culture, then they enjoy a plus 1 to their
maximum Charisma and Instinct attributes. They plus 1 to their maximum Stamina, Stealth,
Negotiation, Faith/Willpower and Deception. They will likely be from one of the following cults
too; the Anabaptists, Apocalyptics, Chroniclers, Clanners, Hellvetics, Judges, Scrappers or
Spitallians.

The choice of Concept is similar but also gives you a roleplaying focus. For example, pick The
Hermit concept, and you have a character who is not interested in banter or crowds but whom
also benefits from an increased max in the attribute Instinct and skills Survival and Stealth.

Let’s finish my example by putting this Franka into the Spitalians – so he’s a war doctor, shaved
clean, so he can inspect himself for any sign of infection, and a fierce opponent of the viral
plague sweeping through Earth’s survivors leaving a trail of horrors in its wake. The character
will be adored as a healer and feared as someone who sees the need to burn away the infected.
He’ll get a bonus to his maximum Toughness, Medicine, Faith/Willpower (characters pick one of
those), Science and Perception.

Each of the Clans has a flowchart showing their ranking system. Our Spitalian begins as a
Recruit. They can boost that with background points if they can meet the prerequisite.

It’s tough to create a character, close to impossible, without having a robust understanding of
the world of Degenesis. I think this will challenge some groups and slow the adoption of the
game.

The world of Degenesis

I’ve read both books head to toe twice and still feel poorly equipped to summarise the world of
Degenesis.

This need to read and re-read to find out how things slot together and work out what specific
terms mean is because the writers have created an amazingly detailed world. It’s also partly
because of the author’s, Christian Gunther, and two co-authors Alexander Malik and Mark
Djurdjevic, preference of descriptive flourish and narrative over unimaginative, a matter of fact,
encyclopedia entries for their world.

Asteroids tear into the Earth, in the near future, catching humanity unaware. It’s enough to
crack the crust, lava reshaping the landscape and sea levels rising. It was enough to trigger an ice
age.
Degenesis is set in the remains of what was once called Europe and to a lesser extent Africa.

Europe got hit harder, and the game flips some usual tropes by presenting the African cultures
as the richer, more sophisticated civilisations with the resources and the upper hand in any
trade deals while much of Europe is a lawless wilderness.

The game uses ‘cultures’ not ‘races’ to describe the remnants of humanity. This is a good move
as is the caution at the front of the RPG that, yes, there is tension between the survivors, but
Degenesis is not about glorifying ‘Them versus Us’ hostilities in real life.
Degenesis RPG - Rebirth Edition

Whereas some RPGs use a fair chunk of their 700 or so pages to describe hundreds of monsters
and spells, Degenesis puts the focus on cultures, cults and clans. In these two core rulebooks,
there are seven cultures, thirteen cults and many clans. I really think new players should read a
bit, skim a bit, zoom in on a culture that interests them the most and read up on that first.
Trying to learn them all up front becomes a barrier to character generation.

Here’s the thing – the shattered Earth and waring survivors is the sideshow – the impact of the
asteroids is not the main danger in Degenesis.

These asteroids brought a strange and pernicious virus with them, and that virus has mutated
into several different, equally dangerous, infections. If the monsters don’t get you, then a flea
will bite you, and you’ll start to transform.

A few pages into Degenesis and I was convinced humanity was doomed. How could the dregs of
society, blasted back to the stone age in places, survive against ultimate hivemind predators that
have been specially evolved to kill humans?

To be honest, I still wonder about that.

The storytelling in Degenesis does such an excellent job at laying out the bleak challenge ahead
of humanity I’m about ready to throw in the towel and trade all my loot for a few nights of bliss
with the Apocalyptics until I’m no longer able to worry about anything at all.

Survive, though, humanity has done. We’re rebuilding and pushing back. In some cases, even
the spore fields near (near-ish) to asteroid sites have been tackled. Sometimes successfully
(successful-ish). In other cases, we have cities, railroads, trade and tanks.

The result is a mash-up of hope and despair. One adventure could be set in in the military
quarters of the Hellvetics, descendants of Swiss troops who survived the impact in specially dug
complexes in the Alps, surrounded by technology from the Bygone age. The next campaign could
be set among the ruins of some town in Borca where hiding from the wild animals each night
and trying to dig up enough food to survive to tomorrow is the primary challenge.

Another reason why coordination between the players in creating characters is so necessary is
that creating a group out of that mash-up of cultures, clans and cults needs to be possible.

Those mutant killers? Homo Degenesis. This RPG is Homo Sapiens versus the more highly
evolved Homo Degenesis.
Degenesis Rebirth Edition
The delightful Degenesis

The original Degenesis began as a fan art project. It has not lost touch with its routes. The books
are gorgeous.

Turn a few pages in Degenesis Primal Punk or Katharsys, and you’ll encounter a full-page
illustration good enough to go viral through Pinterest.

The production values here are fantastic but no surprise. You see, the publisher is
SIXMOREVODKA. SIXMOREVODKA is a studio that designs concept art and visuals for
Hollywood and computer game studios.

The team behind Degenesis: Rebirth Edition is top tier, international, creative masters. Are they
going to make a post-apocalyptic RPG look out of this world? They absolutely are!

Money. Degenesis oozes money. I’m not sure they can even sell the the books at a profit (and it’s
nearly £90 on Amazon.co.uk this week). There are pages, many of them, that are printed in
black and on which the text is white.

Here’s the weird thing. Sometimes I wondered whether the resources the Degenesis team have
been given have acted against them. On a smaller RPG product, an editor might have to cut
words from a sentence and sentences from a paragraph. As a result, the writer will have to get to
the point more quickly and precisely. In Degenesis I wonder whether they’ve asked ‘Could we
add even more description to that section?’ or ‘Let’s bring that scene to life with some
narrative?’. In goes the new paragraph. The result is terrific writing but also plenty of page
turning as the reader flips back and forth to find a cross-reference. I should note both books
have impressive indexes.
Degenesis RPG - Rebirth Edition
Degenesis: Overall

I feel that Degenesis is a highly collectable RPG. The production value of the books is
spectacular. You’ll want to hand these to a fellow gamer and say ‘Hey! Look at this!’ (but perhaps
not on one of the more adult orientated pages).

I think the system works well and suits the setting. You can design success into your character
and group, but there’s always the whimsy of fate lurking with each dice roll. As a result, you
won’t want to take unnecessary risks.

Degenesis presents a cosmopolitan and vast collection of cultures, cults and tribes. As I keep re-
reading the book I might be able to talk sensibly about them all eventually.

If you want a lightweight rule system, a sketch of a world and then some ruins to hide in, then
this is not the post-apocalyptic RPG I would recommend. Degenesis is a far larger world than
that, far more colourful and demanding.

Want out of your comfort zone? Snap up Degenesis and see if you can guide your gaming group
to success in the final battle.

Disclosure: I was provided a copy of Degenesis to review.

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https://yawningportal.org/degenesis-the-rebirth/

Degenesis: The Rebirth | Yawning Portal

Authors HjaltiN Helgi Már Friðgeirsson Magnús Gunnlaugsson Svani Thomas Smee Thorsteinn
Mar
5-7 minutes

Degenesis: The Rebirth is a german roleplaying game, published by Sixmorevodka, that takes
place a on planet Earth a few centuries in the future. Earth was hit by meteors by the end of the
21. Century and those that survived needed to find new means to survive, as the meteors greatly
changed the world. Degenesis fits perfectly into the post-apocalyptic genre, though the setting is
both interesting and original in many ways.

Once I had ordered this roleplaying game I waited eagerly for the package to arrive. After all, I
had seen images and pictures from the rulebook online and to say the least, they were awesome.
When I received the books, I was not disappointed, for they are beautifully laid out, every page
has its own template and the images are simply breathtaking.

SixMoreVodka_Degenesis_BOOK_PREVIEW02

In fact, if not for any other sake than the pure artistry and craftmanship of this publication,
Degenesis is more than worth it. The only thing that bothered me a bit was the English
translation, many sentences are a bit strange and the text could probably use another
proofreading.

scrappers_busting_out_final_by_marko_djurdjevic-d82xiri
Setting

Degenesis is a post-apocalyptic setting. Meteors hit Earth and not only almost cause genocide
but also caused a massive social collapse and the end of Europe as we know it. The meteors also
carried strange spores, that affected plants, animals and, of course, humans.

The setting is placed in Europe and North-Africa. These continents have swapped economic
roles, i.e. Europe is suffering and in bad shape after the meteors, wars and is struggling to
rebuild. Africa on the other hand is blossoming, rich with natural resources, peaceful (as
peaceful as it gets in the 25th century) and eager to strengthen their foothold in Europe.

After ages of bitter fighting for survival human morality is slowly giving away, especially since
the discovery of new spore-related drugs and the spores themselves. Narratives in Degenesis
evolve around this lack of morality and degeneration and the PCs role is, in a way, to be fickle
candles in a very dark cave, so to speak, where villains, spore-affected/spore-altered creatures
and other monsters constantly threaten them.

The setting is very interesting and original, and is a lot more complicated than can be explained
in a short review like this. The narrative in the rulebooks is great, the setting is often explained
in short stories and leaves enough room for game masters to fit their own stories into it.

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Character creation

Creating character in Degenesis is easy and straight forward. Every character in Degenesis needs
to have the three Cs, i.e. Culture, Cult and Concept. You have 10 points to spend on attributes
and 28 points to spend on skills and how you spend these points determines at what rank your
character starts.

You can choose from 8 different cultures, which in turn affects your choice on abilities and skills.
Cultures range from Northern-Europeans called Borca to the Africans.

After you’ve chosen a culture you need to decide on to which cult your character belongs. There
are 13 different cults and each has its own history and way of thinking. Some of these cults are
military like, with strict hierarchy, rules and titles. Every cult has a set of ranks, which gives the
characters access to different cult-related equipment. Each cult has their own agenda and
ideology, e.g. the Chroniclers collect data and relics from begone ages, Anubians explore the
super-natural and the Judges try, in their own way, to restore humanity’s morality and dignity.

Finally, you choose a concept and you can choose from 21 different concept which affects your
character in different ways, e.g. you can choose to be a hermit, zealot, traveler or heretic.

After you’ve chosen the three Cs and allotted all the points, you have few extra points to spend
on Origins, which e.g. determines your character’s renown, authority etc. The character creation
is open-ended and even if all the players choose the same three Cs, you can still end up with very
different characters.

decoy_5_by_marko_djurdjevic-d9czh23
System

Katharsys, the base system for Degnesis, is a skill system, not different from World of Darkness.
Each character has 6 attributes and 6 skills are linked to each attribute. To perform actions
characters pair together attribute and skill and form a dice pool. If you’ve played in a skill system
like WoD, there isn’t much new in Katharsys.

Katharsys uses d6s. Each roll has a set base number, 4, and every roll above 4 counts as a
success. To succeed performing an action characters needs to accumulate number of successes.
Every 6 rolled is called a trigger, and rolling many triggers can give you bonuses or alter the
quality of your success, which is in some way like Advantages in the Fantasy Flight Star Wars
RPG, e.g. Edge of the Empire.
Conclusion

If you’re looking for an original roleplaying system, Katharsys is probably not for you. If you’re
looking for original setting, incredibly beautiful rulebooks and great narratives, then Degenesis:
The Rebirth is the perfect choice.

You can buy the game from the game designers, Sixmorevodka.