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Eldritch High: A Little Game about Wizards, Witches and Warlocks $2.99
Average Rating:3.6 / 5
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Eldritch High: A Little Game about Wizards, Witches and Warlocks
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Eldritch High: A Little Game about Wizards, Witches and Warlocks
Publisher: John Wick Presents
by A customer [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 08/28/2019 19:10:35

It's interesting to read through this game as a look at one designer's process, since the text walks through playtesting.

It's frustating to actually try learn or play the game. There are at least a few rules missing and there are a number of fiddly little bits of book keeping that don't seem to add much to the experience. On top of that, the game takes a particularly dour view of the magical teenager experience without really motivating that sufficiently for my tastes. For example, references to dating are made only in the context of making the characters' lives worse with doomed relationships, not in creating more complicated situations with the potential for interesting drama. A sidebar recommends a mechanization of this process that reinforces both the doomed and detrimental nature of young relationships.

Tongue in cheek, perhaps, but an unfinished tongue in a mean spirited cheek.



Rating:
[1 of 5 Stars!]
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Eldritch High: A Little Game about Wizards, Witches and Warlocks
Publisher: John Wick Presents
by Caroline G. S. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 07/22/2017 06:47:39

This is a very poorly put together system. The idea behind it is interesting. But the result that is this pdf file, is horrible. The whole booklet is poorly written and confusing. Stuff only being mentioned one time. And things being mentioned by several different names so you have to guess that they mean the same. There's also funktions that don't have any meaning in the game like fudge. Could never find out when or what that's for.

Almost impossible to make the characters you want as well unless you either want a jack of all trades wizard or a skillful fighter. Cause of the restriction to classes.



Rating:
[1 of 5 Stars!]
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Eldritch High: A Little Game about Wizards, Witches and Warlocks
Publisher: John Wick Presents
by Michael D. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 09/06/2013 22:52:57

This game is... something I wish I could play as intended. It's so creative and has so much content crammed into just under 40 pages that captures my heart. The premise, the unique card based resolution mechanic, the way that character advancement works. The whole thing is full of great ideas that make me want to give this game a 5 star rating, but I can't and that's for one simple reason. The core elements are poorly realized.

First, the Freshmen Schedule (the mechanic for determining your "stats") has very strict (and unclear) rules on how you're allowed to arrange your Courses that forces you to focus heavily on using Magic and hobbles customization.

Secondly, the Homework method of advancement (gaining certain amounts points to improve your character with as you go through your classes) is horribly unbalanced with the option to Study for Exams being both highly necessary since not passing classes can get you expelled and a total waste because the benefits for passing are either easily replicated by other options for cheaper or have such a high investment threshold that you won't get them without failing other classes.

Thirdly, the card based resolution is based off of achieving a static target number with no accounting for difficulty and how many cards you draw is largely based on a combination of your Grade Level and your ranks in different Courses (which is also based off of your Grade Level). Since this is based so much on one thing and scales so rapidly, this means that Freshmen are grossly underpowered and higher grade levels are grossly overpowered with no happy medium anywhere.

Overall, the game is way too restrictive and poorly balanced for me to recommend.



Rating:
[2 of 5 Stars!]
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Eldritch High: A Little Game about Wizards, Witches and Warlocks
Publisher: John Wick Presents
by William W. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 02/14/2012 09:55:19

Eldritch High puts players into the roles of students at the Alexander Circe Academy for the Study of the Esoteric and Eldritch Arts - a four year high school that locates teens that have magical powers, shelters them, and aims to direct them on the proper path.

A ton of roleplaying potential is packed into this little 39-page RPG, which is played with a deck of standard playing cards for each player and the headmaster (GM).

Characters are created by answering questions about their background - Where are you from?, What do you look like?, What is your stereotype?, etc. - and then choosing their class schedule and electives. Players choose a class that their character is a Prodigy, select Gifts (Elven Blood, Teacher's Pet, etc.), and choose one of the five dorms for their character to take up residence. All of these items are filled out on a character sheet that resembles a class schedule form.

Each of these details grants them bonuses in potential Risks, those moments when a character attempts an action. A Risks involves pulling cards from the deck - one card for freshman, two for sophomores, and so on - plus any bonus cards from Gifts, Dorm, and so on. Drawing 10 or more value in cards allows the player to take narrative control of the story, and any unused cards can be saved for additional opportunities to add details to the story.

The game is formatted to model the high school experience - game sessions represent a week of a semester, players choose how much of their character's downtime is spent on studying, practicing, and goofing off - each with potential benefits for the character. An extensive Headmaster section that covers metaplots, dating (including brief rules for character romance), exploration, and more.

If all of this seems somewhat familiar, and you're wondering if this RPG could be stripped down and refitted to play in the world of a very popular series of fantasy school novels - the simple answer is yes. But the setting presented here is intriguing enough to encourage running it as is.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Eldritch High: A Little Game about Wizards, Witches and Warlocks
Publisher: John Wick Presents
by Timothy B. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 10/05/2011 15:46:25

A great little game that you can learn and start play in about an hour. I love how the character sheet looks like a class schedule. The mechanic is a card based one and it lends it self well to alterations. The rest of the game is pure role-playing and story telling. If you ever read a YA supernatural book, watched an episode of Charmed or Buffy, or read a Harry Potter book then you have an idea of what you can do. OR better yet, if you were ever in High School and thought "this is ok, but what I really need is a Fireball to liven things up!", then this the game for you.

Even if you don't use the ultra simple game mechanic there are plenty of ideas here for your favorite game. Just now run it in a magical high school.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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