Although I had heard of the Infinity tabletop skirmish game, I’d not really checked it out.
When Modiphius announced the Infinity RPG a couple of weeks ago, I finally discovered what I’d been missing.
This post is a shout out for the Infinity RPG. I also aim to point out why it’s well worth checking out the skirmish game too.
And it’s an encouragement to check out Modiphius’ 2d20 System and see why it’s causing this ol’ Gamemaster some excitement!
Grabbing the RPG Quickstart
Although we can’t assume that this file will survive once the full game is released next year, right now you can grab the Infinity RPG Quickstart .PDF for FREE!
Having done so earlier in the week, I was really excited by the quality of production (despite the odd typo and spelling error) and the artwork. More than that, though – it’s an excellent primer to the 2d20 System!
Why have I fallen in love with this game system?
Three things: it’s simple to play; it fuels high-stakes action; it demands meaningful choices from all players.
2d20 = Simple
The simplicity is in the basic dice mechanic: you roll 2d20 and if one or both of the dice score equal to or less than your attribute + skill, you score a success.
Some tasks require one success, but often stuff is harder and you might need as many as five successes. How can you get five successes off 2d20? Lots of ways!
Firstly, you might be improve your skill Focus, not just the level of Expertise: the number you need to roll under is your Expertise, but if you roll under your Focus you score two successes! This means that you need to make deeper choices for your character.
Secondly, you can pay some Heat (tokens the GM will use to make life complicated), gaining 1 extra d20 for each point paid, maximum +3d20. Problem is, if you turn up the Heat then you make life tougher for the whole group.
Thirdly, you can burn an Infinity Point (you start with three) and gain a d20 with the face turned to score a 1. Awesome! But, hey, don’t burn them all at once because Infinity Points have other uses too!
Momentum!
The thing I really love, though, are the rules on Momentum. In short, every success scored over the number needed on a check scores you a point of Momentum. You can use these to do LOADS of things. As time passes, though, you lose one Momentum per turn if you don’t use it.
From the Quickstart:
Examples of Momentum
– Spend one Momentum to perform the task in half the normal time.
– Spend one Momentum to add +1 damage to an attack.
– Spend two Momentum to disarm an opponent.
– Spend one Momentum to give another player +1d20 to a later skill test (max +3d20).
And there are loads more too, especially in combat!
Complications & Heat
Roll a 20, you pick up a Complication: either the GM adds something negative to the positive outcome you’ve just achieved, or they simply gain 2 Heat.
For the GM, though, there are meaningful uses for Heat.
Firstly, everything that Momentum can do for the player, Heat does for the NPCs – no fiddly tracking of Momentum for the GM!
Then there’s interrupting the Initiative at any point to allow an NPC to act – burn one Heat. Or activate a special effect or NPC power. Or invoke a local environmental hazard. Or whatever – make a change, burn some Heat and make it count for the heroes!
And the players will be agonizing over how much of that resource they want to give you!
Each serious challenge or threat generates tension not just from the inherent story value, but also from the resources that everyone manages with just a handful of counters or beads.
Properly Interesting SF
Finally, because I could write all day about how cool the game is, you need to check out the setting and story too – it is properly interesting!
It’s a kind of high-action (from the skirmish game’s need to fight), manga-flavoured, but not-quite-transhuman blend that really caught my eye. There’s depth to the stories that might not have been apparent if you played the tabletop skirmish game.
In short, Humanity is spreading out across colonies and has its own internecine conflicts… but has just come toe-to-toe with the Emergent Intelligence – an alien power that has pitted its Combined Army against the Human Sphere. As the story begins, the Quickstart gives us a scenario introducing the alien Tohaa as potential allies for the losing Human Race.
Best not spoil anything further… but you should grab that Quickstart and play!
Suffice it to say, this is the first SF setting I’ve read in a while that actually keeps me interested.
Wanna Skirmish?
Did you know that you can grab the skirmish game rules for free as a .PDF too? Check out the infinitythegame.com website!
More than that, though, the miniatures are excellent. And useful for the RPG too.
Well worth a look!