Gives a very good concise explanation of the rules. The pregenerated characters show the feel of the setting. I've used it to run games; however in my campaigns, magic users are evil . Clerics and Paladins try to convert them and or stop them.

Best explanation of basic rules ;attacks,actions,casting,armor,defenses,damage,etc.

Castlemourn Cortex Quickstart is a quick summary of the cortex rules followed by an introductory adventure. All in all it's a good, well presented and well written pdf. The system seems to work well and the adventure description is clear and characters are interesting.

Pros:

• well written and clear. Adventure is described really well with good overview sections. Some funny and innovative additions to plot.
• cortex explained well and works well with the setting, though magic seems a big complicated at face value (see below).
• not a bad combat/resolution system.
• sample characters explained very well, including narrative around skill and trait selection.
• interesting scene framing for adventure opening - it begins in the middle of a fight with a call for initiative!

Cons:

• text laid out well but text just a bit too small, especially reading on a computer/tablet. Lots of content for 36 pages.
• character traits and possessions can get a bit overwhelming, especially since this is a quick start introductory book.
• adventure throws you in the deep end, perhaps a little too much for a quick start, though it depends on GM prep and familiarity with fantasy settings.

Overall great product, especially for free, and good intro to cortex.

Treatment of magic and fantasy creatures in Cortex seems to work well here, promising a strong alternative fantasy system in the making.

The sample adventure and its setting have a bit more of a folkloric feel than many standard fantasy offerings. I wonder how players used to other settings will respond to some of the more direct plot-driving events.