All Flesh Must Be Eaten

[Kriel]

So I'm looking through TV Tropes and I notice an RPG called All Flesh Must Be Eaten. I go to Amazon and I see all the different splatbooks and the like and think "Huh. Zombie d20. Cool! I think I'll get a book or two." Long story short, I got the core book and Enter the Zombie. The question I want to ask you all, fellow gamers, is whether or not AFMBE is good or not. Did I make a good investment? Or did I just waste $60?

[Calinero]

Seems like the time to ask that question would be before you bought it...but no worries, your investment is good. I find it to be a very fun game, when run properly. There are all sorts of different scenarios you can run, and I've actually found some to be a bit creepy. It's good for really any mood. It can be action packed, or psychologically creepy, or anywhere in between.

[Raum]

Unless they've released some conversion I'm not aware of, AFMBE is Unisystem not d20. Lucky you!

There's a certain amount of tongue-in-cheek but also some (admittedly subjective) truth in that comment. Unisystem has many of the positives from d20 - simple hit point health system, straightforward advancement, and evocative classes (though not called classes) while managing to avoid d20's level based power growth. The hitpoints you start with are a large percentage of those you'll have for your entire character's life. This helps keeps lower 'level' (no such thing as level, just less experience) characters / NPCs viable when interacting with more powerful characters.

Hope you enjoy the game!

[Satyr]

All Flesh Must Be Eaten is, like all Unisystem games, pretty good. The current edition includes a small inclusion for D20 rules, but they are pretty obvious inferior to the rest of the rules of the game.
I found the Unisystem rules to be a very good and easy to understand system that feels and plays like the love child of a stormy night when Gurps and D20 had a shortand passionate love affair. The rules are simple without being limiting, the games offer options without being overwhelming the players with sheer overkill of choices. The game is an excellent choice and in many cases a full-fledged replacement for D&D in some settings (especially the grittier ones, like Dark Sun or Midnight). I have just finnished a massive complete conversion of Midnight into Unisystem and I must say, it is just awesome. I will also use the same basic rules to write All Songs of Ice and Fire must be eaten (working title), because the existing systems are somewhat dissappointing. For this kind of setting, Unisystem/All Flesh Must Be Eaten is excellent, and in my opinion superior to D20 for two reasons: The game is less restrictive and offers more options, and the magic system(s) are just awesome.


Now, Enter the Zombie is in my opinion the least interesting supplement of AFMBE (yes, including the Wrestling one), because the whole setting / mood is not that interesting for me, and I found that the cinematic rules are generally better suited for this kind of campaign. It is still full of good ideas, but subjectively they aren't that alluring.
Very good supplements are One of the Living (the so-called "Player's guide) and All Tomorow Zombies (the future and cyberpunk supplement) and, with the best price/performance ratio, the Witchcraft corebook (which contains the awesome magic system mentioned above and which is free).

So, have fun with AFMBE. It is worth the money, and some time investment.

[Tsotha-lanti]

AFMBE is amazing, and Unisystem is great. I've worked on so many conversions for it, including Fallout (although I did eventually switch to Twilight 2013 with that; Twilight 2200?) and Ravenloft (D&D is just not meant for horror, but Unisystem is and still does a great approximation of D&D).

[The Rose Dragon]

Also, it doesn't have to have zombies. Or horror. You can run a Norm-only game in any setting and have fun with it.

One thing you may have difficulty creating with it is superpowers. I'm not sure if Eden is still writing new books for AFMBE, but if they do, I want one about superpowers (even if it is only for zombies, like Dial Z For Hero).

[Satyr]

One thing you may have difficulty creating with it is superpowers. I'm not sure if Eden is still writing new books for AFMBE, but if they do, I want one about superpowers (even if it is only for zombies, like Dial Z For Hero).

An own line of superpower roleplaying game, Beyond Human, in in the making, as is the adaptation of City of Heroes/City of Villains. In addtion, the Angel corebook includes a large section of supernatural powers for demons and such like which can be used for quite a few superpowered archetypes. It's not Mutants and Masterminds (yet), but I think this isn't that bad.

On the other hand, Beyond Human was announced before Argh! There Be Zombies, and is still mostly a rumor. As far as I know, there are at least 4 different unisystem books completly done and ready for publishment, but Eden games cannot afford the print right now.
It is the only company i buy all books in pdf and hardcover, hoping that it prooves not to be too good to last.

[Satyr]

One thing you may have difficulty creating with it is superpowers. I'm not sure if Eden is still writing new books for AFMBE, but if they do, I want one about superpowers (even if it is only for zombies, like Dial Z For Hero).

An own line of superpower roleplaying game, Beyond Human, in in the making, as is the adaptation of City of Heroes/City of Villains. In addtion, the Angel corebook includes a large section of supernatural powers for demons and such like which can be used for quite a few superpowered archetypes. It's not Mutants and Masterminds (yet), but I think this isn't that bad.

On the other hand, Beyond Human was announced before Argh! There Be Zombies, and is still mostly a rumor. As far as I know, there are at least 4 different unisystem books completly done and ready for publishment, but Eden games cannot afford the print right now.
It is the only company i buy all books in pdf and hardcover, hoping that it prooves not to be too good to last.

[The Rose Dragon]

Print? Screw print! It's not like I'm buying print books of any company other than Green Ronin anyway (and that only the core rulebooks, not any supplements).

If there are books ready, I want them!

This is the only reason I actually hate D&D: it steals the market share other companies more rightfully deserve, meaning we have fewer books for good systems.

[Satyr]

I generally prefer solid, physical books. They are easier to read, in my opinion. In the case of Eden games, the purchase of the pdfs is more like a donation. Or, in the case of the (unsurprisingly excellent) Ghost of Albion core book, because I was too curious to wait.

[The Rose Dragon]

I assume it is perfectly compatible with Witchcraft rules?

EDIT: The reason I don't buy hardcopies is because they are not sold locally and it's a bitch trying to get them online.

.pdf's arrive instantly and are often cheaper. And more portable. And easier to back-up.

[Satyr]

No, GoA is based on the Cinematic Unisystem rules and has an own magic system which is effectively based on individual spells and the research of those. The beauty of this system is that you effectively create new spells with great ease and that skill still has a major influence on the effect of different spells through "flourishes", which is efectively situational applied "metamagic" based on the success level of the caster.

The true beauty of the game lies in the description of the plot and the setting which manages to keep the fragile balance between romanticism, fairy tales, horror, historical accuracy and some very neat ideas. Every game which lets you play a party which is one half Leaue of the Extraordinary Gentlemen and one half Midsummer Night's dream while they fight against freak ghosts or the one or two demon parasites which feed of human pain and misery both let me think of some neat characters and vile plots as a game master. And since my primary criteria for the quality of a game is "I want to play it" this game is prettyy good in my eyes.

[The Rose Dragon]

That's a shame. Cinematic games are not really my style.

Though I'll probably buy it anyway.

[Satyr]

"Cinematic" in Unisystem means mostly "look, no Endurance and a simplified skill list, so the difference is minor. In addition, GoA includes a guideline for the conversion of the game into the standard Unisystem rules if you prefer those.

[The Rose Dragon]

Yeah, if it includes conversion notes it's all good.

...maybe we should turn this thread into an all-purpose Unisystem thread.