![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kent_allard_jrThe Realm of Yolmi, one of the rarest of RPGs, arrived in the mail yesterday. Truly an "alternative classic" in Bill Prozini's sense of the phrase, Yolmi is chock full of goofy ideas, amateurishly presented in a roughly 200-page spiral bound booklet. It has the nutty charm I look for in the RPGs of the 1970s.
The game is set in a "post-holocaust" world. A giant space-cloud came and turned most of Earth's lifeforms into mutants. Earth's dictator, the master scientist Yolmi, created a formula to counter the space-gas, and while it worked fine on him, it changed the "appearance and body chemistry" of everyone else who took it. So now Earth is covered with weird mutants and altered humans. Yolmi has invited Earth's space colonists back to the mother planet. Player-characters are the descendants of the off-worlders who have returned to resettle the Earth.
The game system looks a lot like OD&D, with a few minor changes: Abilities are rolled on 3d8, not 3d6; to-hit rolls are made with percentile dice instead of 20-siders; and of course, it's a "science fiction" setting so there's no magic, no elves, etc., and every PC is human. There are three main classes: Soldier, "Fly-Catcher" and Scientist. Each has a corresponding prestige class: Cyborg for Soldier, Psychic for Fly-Catcher (split into two branches, "Om-Woong" and "Fly-Master") and Robot-Maker for Scientist. Again, it's OD&D adapted to a new setting.
The setting, of course, is the fun part. Most of what we learn comes from the monster descriptions, some of which I've shared with![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
bigscary and doc_mystery. Here's a sample:
The last third of the book is devoted to Outer Space Adventures. This is odd, considering it costs 2 million rupnicks to get to a ship and there's a 5% chance, the second you get on board, that you'll turn into one of Yolmi's zombie minions. But the author wanted to write an outer space game, so what the hell?
How could anyone not love this game?
The game is set in a "post-holocaust" world. A giant space-cloud came and turned most of Earth's lifeforms into mutants. Earth's dictator, the master scientist Yolmi, created a formula to counter the space-gas, and while it worked fine on him, it changed the "appearance and body chemistry" of everyone else who took it. So now Earth is covered with weird mutants and altered humans. Yolmi has invited Earth's space colonists back to the mother planet. Player-characters are the descendants of the off-worlders who have returned to resettle the Earth.
The game system looks a lot like OD&D, with a few minor changes: Abilities are rolled on 3d8, not 3d6; to-hit rolls are made with percentile dice instead of 20-siders; and of course, it's a "science fiction" setting so there's no magic, no elves, etc., and every PC is human. There are three main classes: Soldier, "Fly-Catcher" and Scientist. Each has a corresponding prestige class: Cyborg for Soldier, Psychic for Fly-Catcher (split into two branches, "Om-Woong" and "Fly-Master") and Robot-Maker for Scientist. Again, it's OD&D adapted to a new setting.
The setting, of course, is the fun part. Most of what we learn comes from the monster descriptions, some of which I've shared with
bigscary and doc_mystery. Here's a sample:Biale: Shaped like leaves. When they see anything man-like, a sabre blade emerges from their body and they attack. As they attack, they sing catchy little tunes that take the Adventurers' minds off the attack and make them more vulnerable.The weirdest one of all:
Ki: These creatures spit caustic acid up to 20". When asked what the substance is, they will laugh and say it is in the imagination. Only the most gauche of Adventurers will be fooled, however, because the substance smells strongly of sulfur.
Reakles: These moth-brained, ostrich-like creatures are incredibly stupid. In fact, when attacked, they feel they must have been naughty; otherwise, why would they be attacked? Consequently, they kill themselves. If simply spoken to, they will break off their leg as 'punishment.'
Regik: These creatures used to be Used Car Salesmen. Any one they encounter will be subject to a long sales pitch and unless the prospect buys a totally useless car for over 6,000 rupnicks, the Regik will go mad, singing meaningless songs, and kick the prospect in the head.
Walni: An 800 pound deadweight that perches in trees and other lofty areas and then drops on passerby... If the Walni misses, its fragile body smashes into a Walni-Bar. This rare sweet is worth 500r on the common market.
Engsvalu: Very large creatures who, when they sense an Adventurer coming, will sit down and open their mouth.The inside of the mouth is identical to a tavern. The tongue is the bartender; the tonsils appear to be a juke box, etc. Once inside, the Engsvalu will close his jaws and the saliva will do damage to the Adventurer.Sadly, there isn't much additional info on the game world, just two maps and a one-page legend. There's a Regik used car lot hidden in the mountains, a Mafioso "bootlegging facility," and my favorite, "Pleasureton." ("A completely automated amusement park. Although in perfect working condition, the rides are programmed to kill.") The Healthcity hospital gets a little more detail, including a Gambling Hall and a Storage Room ("T.J. [the only doctor] keeps his various surgical tools here -- chainsaws, axes, mauls and other delicate instruments"), but that's it.
The last third of the book is devoted to Outer Space Adventures. This is odd, considering it costs 2 million rupnicks to get to a ship and there's a 5% chance, the second you get on board, that you'll turn into one of Yolmi's zombie minions. But the author wanted to write an outer space game, so what the hell?
How could anyone not love this game?
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2005-08-10 07:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-10 12:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-10 07:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-10 08:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-11 06:57 pm (UTC)::B::
no subject
Date: 2005-08-12 07:23 am (UTC)Yolmi pre-release verson
Date: 2006-01-17 09:09 pm (UTC)