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PRESENTATION & LAYOUT
EABA is presented as two different PDF's, a version which has colored illustrations and uses color in the graphic design and layout, and a grayscale version for printing. (Though the full page chapter graphics would still eat up a lot of ink, more than I would be willing to spend on them, but you can always skip those page if you print a copy of the PDF.) The color version makes good use of color with attractive graphic elements, such a Chapter title graphic with the chapter title, and a series of red crossbars and dots to indicate the chapter number that is repeated every 2 pages for quick info on what chapter you are reading.
The PDF also makes good use of color in different parts of the text. General text, is in black, important notes or concepts are in red, examples in green, and advanced topics in blue. The PDF also makes good use of hyperlinks, with page references done as hyperlinks in text. Overall it is a nicely done PDF, With attractive and functional layout and convenient hyperlinking. the index is sparse, but usable. A nice selection of character sheets and other record forms is included as well.
OVERVIEW
EABA is a generic universal role-playing game system in a 150 pages, 150 well-written pages. It is terse, yet provides enough examples for you to understand what is presented. It is based on 5 major concepts. First, that dice rolling is fun, specifically, rolling a handful of d6. (It uses a best-of-three mechanic, where you take the three highest dice out of the dice thrown to determine your result.) Second, that is cool to be heroic. Thus, characters are easy to hurt but hard to kill. Third, that variety gives character. This is represented in the design by providing a detailed character creation system with lots of options. Fourth, no risk no reward. This means that, even though the game is heroic, the characters can still fail, suffer losses, and even die. Five, that story, rules. Thus the rules are designed to be easy to learn and remember, a task at which I would say they succeed. So you only need what's on your character sheet to play the game. Instead of having to flip through books and consult charts while you're trying to play. It also features one of the best effects based power systems in any game.
CHARACTER CREATION
Characters, or adventurers as they are called in the book, are defined by three main elements, Attributes, Skills, and Traits. Traits in this case being advantages or disadvantages in other systems. Adventurers are designed by a point based system, with points coming from two different pools. An attributes points pool, the points for which are designated by a number followed by a capital A, 5A for example. And a skill points pool, the points for which are designated by number followed by the capital S, 3S for example. Traits are purchased with either attribute points or skill points depending on the trait.
Attributes are given a number rating called levels, 7 is average, each of which corresponds to a number of dice plus an add, called the default roll. An attribute level of 7 corresponds to a default roll of 2d+1 for instance. The attributes are Strength, Agility, Awareness, Health, Will, and Fate. Fate is a special attribute that represents luck in most games or can be used to determine the level of power a adventurer can wield, such as psionics or magic.
Attributes limit the maximum level of skill you can attain. You add your default roll and your skill rating, given as a number of bonus dice, to get the dice you roll to perform a task. So if your adventurer had a Skill level of +1D and his default roll was 2d+1, you would roll 3d+1 when the adventurer used that skill. The maximum skill bonus your adventurer could get would be 2d+1. So the highest rating your adventurer could achieve with that skill would be 4d+2. Remember that you only count the highest three dice thrown, plus any add to determine your result. Thus results range from 3 to 20 for normal characters, there is an advantage that will let you count 4 of the dice rolled to determine your result.
EABA provides a detailed skill list with an option to specialize in certain
aspects of a skill. This specialization gains the adventurer a +1D to
his skill when performing an action where that specialty applies.
Traits in EABA include advantages such as Forte, which provides a bonus die to attributes in certain situations, and disadvantages such as Weakness,which merits a penalty die to the default roll for attribute, in certain situations.
POWERS
The powers system presented in Chapter 6 of EABA is different from most games. Rather than being a list of predefined effects that you can apply modifiers to, EABA offers a meta system whereby you design the effects you want by combining a number of individual power elements called modifiers. Modifiers include, lethal damage, non-lethal damage, prevents an effect, reverse an effect, melee or ranged range, conveys movement, acts like an attribute, subverts movement, etc. These effects are rated in dice, just like Attributes & Skills, the number of which is determined from your Fate attribute. (As I mentioned earlier, Fate is a special attribute which can be used to represent psionic power, mutant ability, magical aptitude, etc, depending on the game world as defined by the GM.)
In EABA, using a power is a three-part process. First you must activate the
power, then target it, and finally roll for effect. Effects scores can be
converted to all sorts of different values using the Universal Scale table.
These values include measurements such as distance, size or movement, time,
weights, money, and even information. This table is similar to the AP scale in DC Heroes.
All powers in the system include certain default elements as part of their
definition. these elements are Noticeability, Duration, Range, and Target. By default, powers can be seen and heard, and if in the area of effect, even felt, smelled or touched. By default, powers have a duration of instant, they occur instantly. By default, powers have a range of touch. By default, powers affect a single target. By altering these default elements, and applying "effect" modifiers that define what the power's effect does, as well as "limitation" type modifiers, you create individual powers. So an adventurer that can manifest a damaging energy aura around himself while angry might be defined by the following modifiers;
Lethal damage (the effect dice causes lethal damage)
Melee range (Only affects those he touches or who contact him.)
Power lasts as caster wills (It lasts as long as he is angry)
Generic Limit (Only when adventurer is angered)
Each modifier has an "activation cost" associated with it. These costs are added up to get a point value. The point value is used to determine the difficulty of activating the power. Thus the more sweeping and effective the ability, the harder it is to activate, and thus use.
The cost and requirements to have a power are set by the GM based on the world. In general, A player must have a Skill related to the ability to be activate it and thus use it. This is usually a general skill based on the type of ability, you might have a general Sorcery skill or Psionics, of Mutant Powers Skill. The book recommends that each individual ability, whether magic spell or psionic discipline or power stunt, require a specific skill as well. So to use powers you have, you have to at least pay skill points for your general power skill, and points for skill with individual abilities. The GM can also rule that if you don't have the skill you can't attempt to use the power at all. Which would be the case with mutants, or where only those sensitive to mana flows can attempt to use powers. It is also possible to apply the Power costs +3A modifier, which
reduces the activation costs by 10 in exchange for 3A from the character's
attribute points pool, of which you have less than you have skill points. There is also the Gifted advantage on which you can spend attribute points to obtain powers that are always on or always function, because the "activation cost" has been reduced to 0, and thus activating the power has a difficulty of 0.
Rules for creating power frameworks, i.e. templates for common power origins are types, are included. there is also a section on how the presence of powers in a game world affects its economics. There are also rules for enchanting objects and gadgets.
With a little practice using the system you will be able to create all manner of different powers. The system is a bit confusing and more examples would have been helpful in understanding it. A supplement showing the system used to create a wide variety of powers wouldn't hurt either. overall however, after working with the system a bit, you'll be impressed with the effects that you can create with it.
COMBAT
Combat in EABA is handled as a series of skill rolls against a character's
relevant weapon skills. Damage done by weapons is rated as a number of dice and is qualified as either lethal or nonlethal, or combination damage. Lethal damage is marked as a X, and nonlethal damage is marked as a / on the damage track. As the character reaches certain points on the damage track from accumulated damage he suffers penalties rated as a number of dice to his attributes. Thus a character can be quickly incapacitated by damage, being unable to perform an action, without necessarily being killed or knocked unconscious.
If your character takes damage equal to the sum of his health score plus his will score he will pass out. if your adventurer takes damage equal to his health plus his will in lethal damage he will die. One interesting element of the system is that as you take more damage, any additional attacks will have less effect on your adventurer, unless they do a greater amount of damage. the advanced combat chapter has additional rules for special situations and other detailed topics.
SUMMARY
EABA is a very good generic universal system made up of a compact set of rules with well-designed mechanics. Its power system is unique, flexible, and detailed. It offers gamers a satisfyingly detailed and crunchy set of mechanics that is still manageable and easy to learn, being that is only a hundred and fifty pages. Anyone looking for a flexible generic universal system that isn't mired down in an rulebook so thick it is bulletproof should give EABA a try.
<br><br><b>LIKED</b>: Easy to read layout & graphic design & hyperlinking. Great price for a solid well-designed system with flexibles powers creation system.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: The Powers system could have used more explanation.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Excellent<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br><BR>[THIS REVIEW WAS EDITED]<BR>
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