Atlantis: the Second Age is sword and sorcery RPG that provides an update to the savage and exotic nature of the genre with great production values, a broader ethnic and cultural base and modern mechanics.

The RPG is a trilogy and consists of three books – a rulebook, a setting book and a monster book. All of which provide a comprehensive and detailed look at an antediluvian world filled with heroes, dangers, wonders and adventure. This review covers the Atlantis: The Second Age, which is the rulebook, and other two books in the trilogy will be covered by separate reviews.



History

Though I know little of the RPG's history, I am aware that Atlantis is the latest incarnation of the classic fantasy RPG, The Arcanum, which was released in 1984. It saw a further release by Morrigan Press during the d20 boom, which also introduced a new rule system called Omni, which also saw use in Talislanta. Though Khepera's release follows on from Morrigan's version, the changes that have been made are significant, both in respect of the setting and system.

The setting has been changed to make it more focussed on the sword and sorcery genre. Though this S&S vibe appeared in earlier version, Morrigan's Atlantis was more of a mash-up of fantasy genres. Khepera's RPG draws more heavily on ancient cultures from around the world, much like Howard, Lieber, Saunders and Moorcock did when telling their classic sword and sorcery tales.
The mechanics are still focussed around a simple core dice mechanic of roll d20 and add a modifier. 0 or less is a critical failure. 1-5 is a failure. 6-10 is a partial success. 11+ is a success. 20+ is a critical success. However, Khepera's version adds a lifepath system and metagame mechanics to deal with destiny, fate, great works, and disadvantages. It also provides genre focus through the various options like spells, races, magic and equipment much as it does the setting.

Physical Product

The physical book is gorgeous. It weighs in at 368 pages and is a sturdy full colour hardcover. The pages are of a heavy glossy stock, which makes the colours all the more vibrant. The art is consistent in its presentation and of high quality, showing the savage and the exotic in equal measure. As elsewhere, the wider cultural base can be seen through the art in the physical diversity, architecture, attire, and equipment.

Inside the Book

Though the book is 368 pages, the core rules chapter is only 32 pages long. There are almost 100 pages devoted to character creation and another 100 pages devoted to magic, alchemy and the Gods. The remainder is split between a fulsome equipment chapter, a large setting chapter on Atlantis, GM advice and an adversary section including a system for creating your own monsters.

This review doesn't go through each chapter in turn and instead focusses on the salient parts of the RPG.

Character Creation
Character creation is a real highlight in Atlantis. The reason it gets a lot of attention is that it looks to embed the larger than life pulp fantasy characters into the cultural rich and exotic antediluvian world in which they adventure.

There are 7 races, though one of these (the animal-men) has as many again sub-races including minotaurs, leopardmen and merfolk. There are no typical fantasy options such as elves, dwarves or halflings. Each of the races has a full portrait and detailed write up, along with a number of intriguing racial abilities. Nethermen can devour their enemies and gain their abilities. The mercurial Jinn can immolate and rebuild themselves.

Each PC then chooses a region of the world they hail from and a profession. There are also 16 professions broken down into 4 groups – Those Who Slay, Those Who Take, Those Who Shape and Those Who Teach. Though this may appear like a class based system on first glance, these professions are more just a starting point and have very little impact after PC creation. Once you are through PC creation, the system is closer to a points buy system allowing for a broad range of character concepts.

This is followed by a detailed, fun and flavoursome lifepath system. Though the system is effectively optional, it has the effect of placing the PCs into their own story from the get go and helps set the tone for the RPG even before the first session start. Every time I have used it, I have come away with lists of story hooks and the players have all felt that their PCs are "on the same page" to each other than the world at large. The players are able to tailor the life paths to the PC, though they can still be full of surprises (one of my PCs proved to be the king of his home country).

PCs start as powerful heroes, equal to Conan, Fafhrd and Gray Mouser in their early adventures. The PCs progress slowly but steadily from that point, until they are truly heroes of legend. This is reinforced by the various metagame mechanics that are included. Each PC has a Destiny and a Fate, much like they might in Greek myth. The PC strives for their Destiny and tries and avoids their Fate. Along the way, the PC achieves great works and overcomes disadvantages. All of these are matters which the player may have a direct hand in, putting compelling plot ideas at the GM's fingertips.

In my experience, the metagame mechanics have been a great and simple channel of communication between player and the GM, without complex narrative mechanics. It is there if it is wanted and its use is encouraged. However, every player may ultimate decide to what extent he or she desires to use it.

The result of the above is that Atlantis characters are rich in detail and appropriate to genre, whilst also being entirely of the players' creation and imagination. Character creation also plants to seeds for the upcoming campaign.

Magic, Alchemy and the Gods
Although supernatural abilities in Atlantis follow the same simple core mechanic as the rest of the system, they are expanded on considerably. There are many types of such abilities in Atlantis but the primary three are magic, alchemy and the worship and favour of the Gods. Each works differently from the other and is fully supported in the rulebook.

Magic is the most immediately powerful of the three. It is also flexible. Rather than lists of spells, the magic system consists of nine broad effects, such as attack, summon or shield. Inside those broad effects is a small list of parameters for making your own spells. The book also contains a number of sample spells, but I have not used them as the parameters for making your own spells are so easy and quick to use. A magic using PC also chooses from four traditions of magic to further flavour how his or her magic operates.

Magic takes its toll on the caster though, slowly warping the mage as his or her power grows. Though this is mostly manageable, dire circumstances could result in disastrous effects.

Alchemy consists of a large number of fixed formulas from elixirs, poisons, powders to potions. It is slow and inflexible, but the results can be used by anyone and bear little risk in doing so.

Worshipping the Gods is broken into various stages. Anyone can meet a God (and likely go mad from doing so). Anyone can make sacrifices and prayers to the Gods and be rewarded for doing so. A few can be favoured by the Gods and receiving all manner of blessings, as well as powerful benefits resulting from their sacrifices. Though not immediately powerful as magic, blessings and benefits of this nature don't just bend the rules like magic; they break them.

GMing Atlantis
I have been running Atlantis as a GM and I have found it to be an absolute pleasure. As already seen, character creation and the metagame mechanics help the GM by giving him or her ideas and story hooks aplenty. The players also are able to contribute directly.  

The rulebook contains a full chapter on the island of Atlantis, which provides a large (about the size of Western Europe) and diverse place to adventure in. The setting material is presented with detail that the GM can use as normal, but rather than trying to be exhaustive, which can be a burden and restrictive, it also leaves plenty of blank spaces and provides many story hooks. You can easily create your own places of adventure within the greater setting.

The Adversary section in Atlantis at first seems a little slim. You have a list of mortal foes and animals. You also have a small list of monsters. However, you also get a good and useable adversary creation system. Like the spell creation system, the guidelines are comprehensive and definite, allowing them to be used easily and quickly. They also provide a good idea of how difficult the end result will be.

Though the monsters nominally use the same system as the PCs, there are a number of shortcuts that make the GM's job easier. Rather than needing to know all the attributes and skills of a monster, all of this information can be wrapped up in a single number called Ability Level. This is effectively the modifier that the monster gets to any rolls. Given the transparency of the linear and simple core dice system, this proves very effective. You can eyeball the PCs and see what's going to easy and tough in an instant.

Another factor that makes the system easy for the GM is that there is there are few exception based abilities. PCs and NPCs have access to some 20 abilities (akin to class abilities). Monsters have a few pages of other abilities that can be drawn on. For example, given the system uses its core dice system so heavily, a spell-using NPC can be statted as simply as knowing its Ability Level number and the fact that it can use spells.

Conclusion

Atlantis achieves a great balance between providing focus, flavour and support where it is needed but also stepping back and allowing fun, creativity and flexibility to cater for the entire sword & sorcery genre. And it does this both through its setting and system. The book contains everything you need to play years of pulp fantasy adventures in a savage and exotic world filled with a myriad of cultures and a host of monsters.