This was the 2nd add-on I got during the KickStarter for $49. Let’s talk about what’s in the box. A book with an adventure and campaign setting and other information. 2 double-sided maps with terrain and a cutaway ship on it. 2 sheets of punch out map markers, a 3 panel LAWGIVER screen, 10 alpha and omega dice with 2 wild dice, 6 pre-generated character sheets, and a deck of 64 reference cards.
The maps are world specific and not just boxed set specific. The markers are nice as are the cards and dice.
About the book. There’s a 2 page preface breaking down the adventure and campaign setting in the book. They are set up sandbox style. You’re given all the information you need to run the story and the PCs have more free reign on the flow direction.
Chapter 1 is the adventure: The Tower on the Border. It’s broken down into 4 sections and the gist of the adventure (oh, and using the pre-generated characters is preferred) is you’ve been jailed by the Apes and the lot of you need to stage a jailbreak and escape to safety. There is an astro-naut that can be saved as well and taken to a local doctor to at least stop him from dying in the immediate future. They have a couple options of where to go, each with a possibility of being seen and captured. While there are set locations, each with potential encounters, it’s up to the PCs to decide their route, thereby driving the events of the adventure. There’s even fairly little “scripted text” so there is no feeling of being railroaded. They don’t “have to” go do any specific location, although they don’t leave the jail with supplies so they need to scavenge supplies to survive. While characters could create their own characters, they are suggested to use the same skills (or similar) as the pre-generated characters. There are 3 Ape options, 2 Human options, and a mutant option for the pre-generated characters and each “has something to contribute” to the adventure. For me this would be a useful tool to introduce new players to both the game and system. Don’t have to create character and you can explain the rules and rolls along the way, as well as using it as an excuse to get players used to each other if it’s a new group.
Chapter 2 is The Ruins of Tomorrow Campaign Setting. It builds off the events of the adventure in Chapter 1. It adds more to the sandbox and can even be used in your own campaign as it gives locations, beings, and creatures to inhabit your world. The gist of the campaign is a group is trying to explode a super-volcano and the PCs can either try and stop it from happening or go on a scavenger hunt and get the items needed to escape off world. It does pick up where the adventure ended and they are being chased by Colonel Uero (gorilla) and his troops. He won’t stop until the PCs are caught or killed, or something similar happens to him. The 1st section of the campaign is into The Forbidden Zone and traverse it in the direction of choice to try and accomplish their goals. As they’re being pursued, there is a 1D6 + 10 roll to see many hours ahead the group is of the Colonel and crew, and the time can adjust either way based on the PCs actions. There is a full page dedicated to “Escape to the Stars,” all the steps needed to getting a spaceship in working order to fly off planet if they decide to do that. New locations include: The Gleaming City, The Sea of Sands, and The Under Ocean. There’s even Fortress Liberty, which houses a fortified nuclear bunker. All in all, there is enough stuff in this chapter for many different campaigns.
Chapter 3 is the LAWGIVER’s Toolbox. It includes 3 new archetypes and some environment zones and effects in The Forbidden Zone. There are fission caves, mine fields, volcanos, and others mentioned in the chapter. There are zone appropriate effects and dice to be rolled for said effects.
Chapter 4 is The Unknown. So, exactly what is beyond the Forbidden Zone? Grab some dice and start rolling to create your randomly specific biomes and what’s in it. Choose from aberrant, aquatic, forest, and tundra, among others, sub-biomes and create from there.
Chapter 5 is The Seeds of Civilization. In this chapter, you can create your own specific Planet of the Apes, or at least create other nation-states that aren’t Simia.
Chapter 6 is campaign and adventure tables. Distances between locations and encounter tables are found here and is effectively both sides of the back cover.
Last, but not least, is the LAWGIVER’s screen. It’s pretty healthy sized and has virtually everything one needs without having to reference the book often, which is as it should be.
I initially had only backed the core rules and decided I wanted everything I felt I needed to go full immersive. I can live without minis (possible blasphemy, I know, but I’ve never run/played minis heavy RPGs) especially if given an alternative to use. So in my mind, this and The ANSA Files was all I needed to pair with the Core Rules to get what I wanted. I think this gives serious bang for the buck considering everything that’s in the box. The 2 books offer bang for the buck in my opinion (not sure what I expected, but this totally exceeded it. I think I was just expecting basic), but this probably gives the most bang. These reviews have all run a little longer than normal, but I think it’s a testament to how much they’ve packed into each item.
To pre-order: www.planetoftheapesRPG.com