Quote:
# Format: PDF
# Size: 10.4MB
# Paperback: 138 pages
# Publisher: Wizard's Attic Publishing Serv (September 7, 2001)
# ISBN-10: 0970868901
# ISBN-13: 978-0970868909
Quote:
Since the beginning, role playing games have been primarily about one thing; wish fulfillment. Basically it's about people becoming what they could never really be, doing what they could never really do, and reaping rewards they could never really have. The horror RPG genre turns this dynamic on its head, generally casting the heroes as normal folk facing odds they cannot overcome with brute force. "Little Fears" takes this one step further. Here the players are facing overwhelming odds, but they don't even have the strength or influence of a grown-up to face them with! Power-gamers will turn up their noses at such a prospect, but for those of us who truly enjoy a role-playing challenge "Little Fears" is a must-get.
The premise is that all the nightmares of childhood; the Boogeyman, the monster-in-the-closet, monsters from the movies and a host of other villians that children can't even conceive of but their parents have been conditioned by sensationalist media to dread, all live in a parellel world called "Closetland." The monsters of Closetland seek to steal children's innocence and sanity, and whenever possible the children as well. Adults, having grown out of innocence cannot perceive the creatures of Closetland, so the children are on their own to protect themselves from these menaces.
The system uses only six-sided dice. The characters have five primary stats; muscle, feet, smarts, hands and spirit. Game play revolves around using a single die to either roll under a stat for success (i.e. a "quiz") or rolling over an opponent's stat when an action is opposed (i.e. a "test"). The author gives descriptions for some monsters, particularly the "leaders." Details about what the "rank-and-file" monsters are like and what they can do are vague. This allows the GM to create customized creatures that only s/he knows about. Any GM who has been frustrated by "Call of Cthulhu" players who just happen to own a copy of the rulebook will appreciate this, although it does mean a lot of work.
Overlaying the premise of supernatural monsters stalking children, is the very real threat of child abduction. Although it is billed as the game of "childhood terror," the author often blurs the distinction between the fears of children and the fears of their parents. Thus the rules contain references to eating disorders, cannibalism and other scenes of horror that some readers may find difficult to read, and even harder to place in a workable game. Only the most mature of players, for example, should even consider writing a scenerio involving the "king of lust," whom, the rules describe in chilling detail. As a result, even some fans of horror gaming may be tempted to avoid "Little Fears" as being just too much to take.
Again, I thoroughly enjoyed reading and playing "Little Fears." Its unique premise makes it a powerful and compelling break from other games. But even as a devoted fan I cannot play it too often, and do not begrudge those who would not play it at all. "Little Fears" is a five star game, but it is not for everyone.
