First Impressions - BX Mars

BX Mars is high contrast black and white, the photo doesn't do it justice.

BX Mars is my latest read, purchased as the premium colour hardback was going to no longer be available. This was the author's choice to showcase the artwork best, as the standard black and white wasn't so crisp to look at. I picked it up during DriveThru RPG's sale on premium colour. The book can still be bought in B&W or PDF.

TL;DR: BX Mars is a unique book with a very distinct style, with plenty of hooks to draw upon. The rules are a simple but effective tweak, and the game's flavour captures its source material well. Reading it, ideas for games sprang to mind, which is always a good sign. 

If you're waiting for the second bit of the Helvéczia review to drop, it's coming! There's quite a bit more to cover than this so I decided that I'd get BX Mars out of the way while it was fresh in the mind.

Example of the mix of illustration and text found throughout.

101 pages long, much of this book uses illustrations to detail the setting and rules, sometimes with call outs and sometimes with supporting text. There are a few minor typos that grate rather than spoil text. The illustrations are starkly black and white and all done by the author, Michael Gibbons. I like them. DriveThru has given an adult-only filter because most Martians are naked because they're genetically capable of photosynthesis. If you've read or seen any of the inspiration, you'll understand why that decision has been taken. It will either work for you or not. If semi-naked Martian warriors and princesses is an issue for you, don't get the book.

This is a generic setting and rules tweak for using Basic/Expert rules to play in a Mars with shades of Burroughs, Wells, Herbert and more. The game sets out its precepts clearly at the start:

• The End is Near (Mars only sustains life now because of ancient technology)
• Mars is a Desert Planet (If you go out in the sun or onto the Great Erg, you will likely die unless you have planned well)
• Things were Better Once (ruins contain technology beyond that of today, and there is evidence of seas dominating the surface in the past)
• Science and Pscience Coexist (mind powers not spells)
• Psi-Active Tech (Martian Equipment often uses casual psi-actions to work)
• Monsters, Aliens and unwholesome AB-Gods rule the world

You will need some form of BX rules to fall back on. Having recently read Old School Essentials Classic Fantasy, I can see that this would fit right in.

Some of the key rules tweaks include:

• Character attributes are traditional except Wisdom is replaced by Warp (psionic related).
• Starting hit points for first level are based upon an attribute relevant to your class; for example, Princesses gain Hit Points equal to 
• Alignment is split into two - do you favour life or death?
• Terrans start at first level and Martians (of all types) start at third level (although there are rules for lower levels presented).
• The main changed mechanic is the dX, the exploding dice. On some rolls, certain equipment or classes can roll the dice again if a maximum roll is achieved.
• AC is based on class and level rather than what's worn.

There are five core character classes. Red Martians can be Princesses, Warriors or Mentons. Green Martians are Thark! All Martians are born from eggs.

Alternatively, you can play a Terran interloper. There's nothing in the game as to what period Earth is at or if this is our Mars. Terrans start much stronger than Martians but unadapted to Mars; as they progress, they will go native, much like John Carter did. They have great strength and can leap large distances, are immune to the Warp (but can't use psi-active tech at low levels) and are initially ignorant and can inadvertently cause offence.

Thark! stand eight feet tall and are Green Martian raiders. They're intimidating and because they have four arms they can double strike in combat.

Warriors are the most common Red Martian class; they can cause exploding damage with attacks in combat and work well fighting with each other. It's ambiguous whether they can be both male and female.

Princesses are leaders and diplomats, with ancient knowledge and the ability to perform deadly surprise attacks. It's unclear whether they can be male.

Mentons have mind powers and can interface with psionic technology. They can cast mind blast and also use mind warp powers at the cost of their life force (hit points). These powers can cast messages, hide people, and become more powerful as the Menton progresses.

All classes gain masteries - abilities that allow your character to do more things - as they progress.

Equipment is presented with pictures and lore, and the chapter rounds out with details about the weather, which really is about how hot it is. The sun has different stages; hope it isn't in the weird phase, as bad things happen then. 

There's a chapter on Zerzura, the setting, which introduces key facts about life on Mars and the multiple competing factions. These often have an AB God behind them. The dominant city, Xards is ruled by the Bleeding God. House Zolo is lead by the Crimson Queen who has endured for years. The Dragonauts represent the ancient Martian dragons and there are much more, like the scheming Invisible Hand and the scary Changers (who transform bodies into something else.

The atlas is presented as an illustration with notes and the major cities are covered, including the Ark of Ages (House Zolo) and the Dragon Tower. Xards and the Ruins of Xumos are presented in detail.

There is a bestiary detailing the creatures of Mars. Fearsome Albino Apes and the fabled Azure Martians await within along with the Crimson Apes and fearsome Grune. The hibernating Kryss lay beneath the sands in ruined cities and would surely threaten Martian society if they were woken from their rest. Finally, the dreaded, hungry Monxx swarm is covered. Every entry has an adventure suggestion. Various AB Gods are described, including the Bleeding God, the dangerous Crimson Queen (who is always looking for more attractive playmates to entertain and sustain), the Doll Maker, Dragon Empress and more. The Dune Worms are a nod to Herbert, and so dangerous they don't have statistics as such, just effects.

The book rounds out with two sets of appendices; one on the Wonders of the Ancients and the second containing a series of maps which are a sandbox for adventure used in playtesting.

This is a unique book with a very distinct style, with plenty of hooks to draw upon. The rules are a simple but effective tweak, and the game's flavour captures its source material well. Reading it, ideas for games spring to mind, which is always a good sign. In my head I was visually referencing the John Carter of Mars film.

I'm happy I've bought it, and may well try and run a one-shot of it.

17 July 2021