Covet Generation
By John Grigsby, Staff Reviewer
Available through Indie Press Revolution.
Initiative Round
Covert Generation is an independent role-playing game from
The Covert Generation wages a secret war. Their weapons are shenanigans, hacks, and protests. They are all that stands between the tyranny and corruption of The X and an unsuspecting world.
Covert Generation is a self-contained role-playing game about young secret agents in a dark present. Essentially, everything you have ever heard about the world is true. The government is behind it all, the giant corporations want really do want you stupid and obedient, and the Men in Black are definitely not here to help you. Of course, parents and adults can’t see the evil behind the scenes. Of course not; they’ve been hypnotized by television, poisoned by the food they eat, and enslaved by their jobs. Only a young mind, still open to the possibilities can see things as they are.
The Boomers started it, gathering power and money and turning against one another. But the money ran out, and a lot of people went with it. But for those who still had the money, a few obstacles just makes success sweeter. That is, until their children, Generation X, made the scene.
Gen X weren’t the slackers that everyone figured they would be. They were smart, fast, and unscrupulous, making bids for power behind the scenes. Co-opted, blackmailed, or simply removed from the equation, the Boomers wound up out of power. They’re working harder than ever just to keep those running The X content. And The X? Well, they play for keeps. The world is theirs and they don’t intend to let anyone have it back.
In Covert Generation, you will play an Agent in a local Cell, a group of heroic youngsters trying to right the wrongs of previous generations. You’ll have a specialty and a host of skills. Your gear is repurposed or scratch-built from what others have discarded. You also have the backing of the rest of the Covert Generation. Finally, you have a Core Value to depend on; the driving purpose that got you into this crazy double life of spies, missions, and white knuckle thrills in the dark of night.
There is no master plan; no static leadership. Every Agent is responsible for the entire Generation. And the Agents, in spite of everything, a still just kids. They have schoolwork, local friends ignorant of the battlefield, and parents blinded to the truth by work and worry. They have to balance having some fun with saving the world.
Characters begin by choosing a Core Value, a single word that sums up what it was that drove them to take on The X. Whenever a character does something to further their Core Value, they get an extra core die. If, on the other hand, they do something that goes against their Core Value, they lose one core die. Core Values may change over time.
Every Agent also has two attributes, chosen from Flash, Guts, Heart, Style, and Wits. Each attribute provides an extra core die in certain types of conflicts. For example, Heart represents charisma, force of personality, drive, and tenacity. It can provide an extra die in conflicts of courage, leadership, negotiation, and survival. Every attribute also provides at least two health track markers (Heart happens to provide an extra, for a total of three).
Characters then choose a Specialty, an activity in which they excel. Specialties add an extra core die when called upon, and end up costing the character a core die when they must do something outside that Specialty’s area of expertise. A Shout, for example, is a rallying point, digging out the truth and making sure everyone knows it. They can add their specialty to Intimidate, Leadership, Perception, Research, and Writing conflicts. They are not particularly good at Stealth, and lose a core die when forced into a conflict involving such.
An Agent also needs a Cover Identity, often shortened to just “Cover.” Like other attributes, you can call on a Cover for an extra die in appropriate situations, but it may also cost you a die in certain other conflicts. Covers are nearly limitless, but a few examples include Jock, Geek, Goth, Nerd, or Loner.
Every character needs skills, and you may choose any three, each of which grants a bonus die in the appropriate conflict. Skills are greatly varied, and players are expected to use their imagination when devising skills for their character. A few examples are given, but by and large, the choices are limitless.
Gear is important because it can provide a bonus die if a player can find a way to justify its use in a conflict. All characters have a Trance, an electronic link to the rest of the Covert Generation. Beyond that, your options are limited only by your imagination. Again, players are encouraged to get creative. You never know what use you might find for a seemingly useless piece of gear. All Agents get three pieces of gear in addition to their Trance, one of which must be high-tech in nature. Some samples are provided, but again, imagination is the key.
Finally, every character chooses three connections, people or groups they have come to know and grown close to. As with other components, connections can offer a… well, you get the picture by now. Connections need not be limited to children; some adults may have resisted the call of the X.
The mechanics use standard six-sided dice and is played in a series of conflicts. Each conflict has a goal, something that a character or characters hopes to accomplish. After the goals are set, each character looks through their attributes and skills and such to see if they have anything that might be of use. The base dice pool is three dice, and core components (attributes, specialty, core value, and cover identity) add or subtract from this pool. The other components (skills, gear, and connections) always add bonus dice.
The Representative (Game Master) has the same base pool of dice, and adds or subtracts dice based on the difficulty of the situation or the power of the opposition. The Representative may also require a character to roll penalty dice. All dice (core, bonus, and penalty) should be different colors). The dice are then rolled and everyone chooses three dice and totals them. The winner gets Advantage or Edge and earns the right to narrate the results of the conflict.
Core Dice are read as they fall. Bonus dice add to your Bonus Count on a 5 or 6 and add to your Penalty Count on a 1. You can still choose your best three dice from among your bonus dice, however. Penalty dice add to your Penalty Count on a 1 or 2, and add to your Bonus Count on a 6. In addition, when you are told to roll penalty dice, you must choose a number of your lowest results equal to the number of penalty dice you rolled. (That is, if you are told to roll two penalty dice, two of the dice you choose to use must be the lowest.)
A Bonus Count or Penalty Count (you can have only one) necessitates a roll on the Experience Chart (for Bonus Counts) or the Complications Chart (for Penalty Counts). One die is rolled for each Bonus of Penalty Count accumulated. Complications may result in a loss of Edge, a change of Core Value, or a flaw of some sort. Experience may provide new components, additional health, or notoriety.
Edge is what gives characters their drive, and can be accumulated and spent in order to damage an opponent, overcome a challenge, buy bonus dice, buy Advantage (Advantage gives a +2 on your die roll and cancels Disadvantage), modify the environment, forge connections, and block complications. Disadvantage results from Flaws.
That’s the game in a nutshell. There’s a little more info for Representatives, and plenty of snippets of fiction, but by and large, that’s all there is to it.
Critical Hit
On the one hand, I like the mechanics used for this game. They’re simple enough, but also allow for a lot of variance between characters. The idea of three different types of dice, each with their own effect is not only unique, but makes for interesting situations. I also like that the winner gets to decide what happens (having the right to narrate). It gives the players a bigger stake in the game.
Critical Fumble
The big downer for me is the setting. I’m just not thrilled with it. It strikes me as a dystopian cyberpunk with children as the main characters. That is and of itself isn’t so bad; I can deal with cyberpunk, and I can even handle the constant aura of oppression, but the rules specifically state that the player characters do not, under even the worst of circumstances, seek to kill their opponents. The reasoning is clear enough (they are kids, and killing would have severe psychological effects), but it makes life quite difficult when they are facing adult foes who have no such compunctions.
I should also comment on the copious snippets of fiction that are found at the start of every single chapter. While it does expound upon the setting, I think much of it is superfluous and could have easily been omitted. The big names like D&D and GURPS don’t rely on filler to convey the ambiance, and there is no real purpose for it here. A single entry perhaps a page or two in length would have been more than sufficient to get the point across. Instead, it’s hard to tell at times whether this is a rulebook or a pocket novel.
Coup d’Grace
Cut away the fluff and take it with a large dose of maturity (in a game where you can create your own skills and goodies, the potential is there for abuse unless the Rep is ever watchful) and I think you’ve got a playable game. If you enjoy dark settings and can get past the idea that your character favors a stuffed toy over a .357, then you might find yourself enjoying this,
Final Grade: B
