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| Dare you take on the System in Dark Nation? |
Dark Nation was a recent Kickstarter to create a roleplaying game to explore life in a dystopian future where the charades come into conflict with the system, Wwhen their search for truth or justice exposes them. This is conspiracy and terror, but the monsters are humanity and the social structures that it establishes. It's a game about small victories; the characters may never defeat the system, but they can achieve small successes against it, probably tainted by compromise.
TL;DR: Dark Nation is extremely well put together and gives sound guidance on how to explore an oppressive dystopia. I was particularly impressed with the guidance for the GM on how to establish both the setting and the scenario. Aspects of the game's focus could make it hard to play because it leans too close to reality. But maybe that's all the more reason to actually get the game to the table? Recommended.
The game was delivered through DriveThruRPG and I have the hardcover print version, which is 92-pages long with clean layout. It is illustrated throughout using black and white photographs which capture the feel of the game very well.
The game uses the Cthulhu Dark engine, which I had read a long time ago, but had forgotten. It's a simple but effective game engine. Play starts with the definition of the nation and system that the game will be set. Somewhen in a timeline between 1930 and 2030 is recommended. If you set the game in a real time and place, it's recommended that the questions are used to define the truths about the setting rather than expecting everyone to become an expert. Alternative timelines work well for the game.
The questions explore aspects of the system; symbols, the loyalties expected, its size, enemies, any resistance, victims and the form of control. They also explore the weaknesses in the system.
Characters - investigators - are defined simply by name, occupation, life, character and ambitions. Bonds are established - there will be another character that you trust completely. Likewise, someone will have leverage over you. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, it is just something that provides a link and a hook for roleplaying.
Each player defines how the system exerts control over them, overtly or covertly. They also define a useful contact. Finally, a safe space where they can all meet is agreed. The game mechanics are simple, using d6s. You get one die if the task is in human capabilities. You get another die if it relates to your occupation. You can get a final die if you are willing to defy the system. This is your disillusion die, and there are consequences if it's the highest dice rolled.
You take the highest die rolled. If it's a 1, you only just succeed. On a 6, it's a brilliant success. If the administrator (GM) decides that it would be interesting to have failure as an option, they roll a die. If they roll higher than you do, you fail. If not, you succeed as normal.
If you used your disillusion die in the roll, you can chose to reroll all the dice (except for the failure die). You can also choose to add your disillusion die and force a reroll (but you can't do that if a failure die has already been added).
Cooperation is addressed by everyone rolling their dice and the highest result being taken. Competition is addressed by highest result winning. On a tie, the person with the highest disillusion wins. If still tied, it's a reroll.
Investigation rolls never fail; the result gives the quality of the clue found.
Contacts are used by rolling a die is the number of times you've used them so far. If you roll higher, you get help. Roll lower, and you risk the system becoming involved. Violence is handled in a simple way; you cannot directly fight the system. You will die, or be captured, if you don't escape before things escalate.
Fighting other opponents is managed through the usual mechanics.. If either side uses weapons, the consequences increase. If you're prepared for violence, a roll of 6 will kill, 5 will incapacitate for months, and 4s will impact for days. Use of violence is liable to trigger an extreme response from the system.
Disillusionment is a key factor. It represents whether your character can cope with living under the system. Your disillusion starts by being rated at 1, but every time something makes you think you can't live under the system, you need to check by rolling higher than the current score. When it reaches 5, you can suppress it by taking action such as losing yourself with distractions, avoiding finding out more, suppressing evidence & so on. If your disillusion rating ever reaches 6, your investigator burns out and must exit the adventure.
There's solid advice on how to investigate and be successful. It also covers the perils of reaching out to the Resistance, if that's a thing in your setting.
The Administrator section is excellent; It establishes a basic plot structure which you flesh out to make the investigation. It reminds me a little of the progression from sins in "Dogs in the Vineyard". It's effective, and reading it made me start to think of plots.
The guidance then discusses safety tools and how to set up and begin your game. There's sound advice on asking questions to engage the players more deeply, and on how to handle the System's response (up-to and including Interogaton and torture). There's also a sensible suggestion to take time to decompress and recover postgame.
There's a handy roster structure for giving the Administrator an overview of the player characters during the game.
The book rounds out with four Dark Nation examples; USA 1938, after a coup to prevent Roosevelt's New Deal; Britain in 1985 after a limited nuclear exchange in the 1960s; Germany in 2038 after climate change, pandemics & economic turmoil lead to isolationism; and finally, Italy in 1982 following a military coup in the late 1970s. All the Dark Nations have distinct flavours. Each has an example list of names for contacts.
The Dark Nations are followed by seven example scenarios. Some will fit better with certain dark nations but they're all compelling starts for a game.
The book wraps up with designer's notes and further reading (both games and more serious works).
Dark Nation is extremely well put together and gives sound guidance on how to explore an oppressive dystopia. I was particularly impressed with the guidance for the GM on how to establish both the setting and the scenario. I was having ideas throughout my read through of the book.
Unfortunately, those ideas were a little too close to home. It's too easy to imagine a UK which has slipped further down the populist Johnson/Trump slope, with an ongoing loss of civil liberties and compassion. I think this could make it hard to play because it leans too close to reality. But maybe that's all the more reason to actually get the game to the table?
Recommended
30 July 2022
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