Review of Former RPGNet User on Blue Planet: First Colony Game
The **"First Colony"** sourcebook, published by Fantasy Flight Games in 2001, is a valuable addition to the Blue Planet tabletop RPG for Game Masters (GMs) seeking to delve deeper into the colonial settings of the planet within the game.
**Content and Scope**
The book offers an expansive overview of Haven, the capital city of Poseidon in the Blue Planet universe. It provides setting details and gameplay frameworks for creating and managing a colonial environment. The book attempts to build scalability into its adventure scenarios for easy adjustments, making it a practical tool for GMs.
**Reception and Review**
Upon its release, First Colony generated excitement due to its innovative ideas. However, it received criticism for design flaws, particularly in the misuse of the Challenge Rating (CR) and Encounter Level (EL) system, which are fundamental for balancing encounters. The system was found to be incorrectly applied, mixing individual creature CRs with group ELs, leading to inconsistencies in gameplay balance.
The review also highlighted that the system had not been adequately playtested, resulting in practical issues that negatively affected its usability. As a result, the reviewer strongly advised against purchasing the supplement, stating that its potential was "horrendously squandered" due to these design flaws.
**Authors and Publisher**
The book was written by Greg Benage, Brian Breedlove, and Catten Ely. It carries the production code BP04. The publisher of First Colony is Fantasy Flight Games.
**Page Count**
First Colony consists of 128 pages, providing a relatively brief but comprehensive view of Haven.
**Additional Features**
First Colony introduces NPCs throughout the description of the city and includes four adventure scenarios set within Haven. However, some argue that the space could have been used for more detailed descriptions of the city.
**Final Thoughts**
While First Colony offers a wealth of information about Haven, its critical flaw in encounter scaling and lack of thorough playtesting have led to negative reception. Prospective buyers should be cautious about expecting a fully functional and balanced system from it. The reviewer notes that their opinion might be different if they were to revisit it today. Despite its flaws, First Colony remains a sourcebook that every Blue Planet GM should consider owning, offering a valuable resource for expanding gameplay within the Blue Planet setting.
[1] Note: The review excerpt did not provide specific details about the authors and publisher, which can be found in other sources.
The book, First Colony, written by Greg Benage, Brian Breedlove, and Catten Ely, offers insights into the fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, home-and-garden, and lifestyle aspects of Haven, the capital city of Poseidon in the Blue Planet universe. Despite its valuable content, the travel opportunities within the city could have been further detailed.
