THE RPG they are fantastic if you go for fantasy: perhaps thanks to the presence of Dungeons & Dragons for decades, it’s really easy to become a Human Paladin ready to defeat evil or an Elf Ranger who hunts monsters in the woods. But what happens when the setting changes and we move on to theinvestigative? Titles like The are born Call of Chthuhludecidedly more calm experiences but which in all respects become complex to manage with the game system and which fall under the weight of the imaginary of Lovecraft. Candela Obscura was born for this.
Trust your Circle
Candela Obscura puts players in the shoes of investigators of the agency of the same nameaimed at cataloging all the Phenomena (events from other realms) and to defend the unsuspecting citizens of New FairThe game is set in a fictional city of 1900where the war has just ended with the discovery of electricity, and where the city finds itself having to breathe a sigh of relief. But as life goes on, we do not forget the presence of Old Faira buried city full of mysteries, and a series of inexplicable facts that players will have to investigate.
The players will be part of a Circlea group (which will have dedicated skills) managed by a Lightkeeperan ex-operative or simply someone in charge. The game is based on Illuminated Worlds Systemdesigned for short sessions, and the way it’s laid out seems well-centered and accurate.
Let’s start with the basics: the system is not officially based on, but is strongly inspired by, Forged in the Dark. They are pulled D6where 1-3 will be failures, 4-5 mixed successes and 6 complete successes. Managing the game 9 statswhich will define your tests, currency to spend on extra rolls and re-rolls, and of course a system of marks and scars that will lead your character not towards death, but rather towards evolution and growth.
A narrative system
The whole game is based on a system that pushes a lot towards storytelling: you just need to think that as far as damage is concerned, if in other games we often have Hit Points to scale, here we will have marks and scars. A mark may be inflicted by a traumatic event, even a mixed success, and may be physicist, mental or supernatural.
To the fourth brand obtained in a category, the character will be unconsciouswill clean the brands taken in that said category and will take a scar. It will be related to the various damages taken, it will be chosen by the player, and in addition to characterizing the character in terms of roleplay, it will make you move a point from one characteristic to another, almost as if to highlight an evolution. fourth scar the character will kick the bucketor if you prefer he will retire from field operations (perhaps becoming a Lightkeeper, who knows).
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The rest of the game is also very “lite” in terms of rules: dice rolls will be made based on points in a relative skill, Pushes expenses to add them (consuming this currency) and possibly to objects in the inventory useful for the action to be performed.
The art of being alternative
Candela Obscura is placed two big goals in terms of RPG: propose a supernatural horror capable of detaching itself from the imagery of Chtulhu, and building a short campaign system (Illuminated Worlds System) capable of launching you immediately into the narrative. To give you an idea, Candela Obscura has allowed the creation of a theathral show role-playing, an entertainment that blends classic RPG with theatre in a very interesting way (which would be difficult to implement in a Fantasy).
Taliesin Jaffeone of the creators of Candela Obscura, wanted to highlight how, in his view, Chtulhu has reached a saturation point: despite the magnificence of Lovecraft’s work, it must be said that such a presence becomes almost all-encompassing. Candela Obscura, while borrowing some atmospheres, manages to get this elephant out of the roomthus giving more space to the rest. Here then Candela Obscura sessions can become similar to episodes of Fringe And Warehouse 13proposing particular cases that, once detached from this omnipresent figure, become more original and free. Examples of this are some of the incipits included in the manual, precisely, or that of the Quickstart (a case inspired by real facts, obviously fictionalized).
You will have understood by now, Candela Obscura’s book aims a lot at make you part of a settingconsidering the light rules system (not to be confused with simplistic). Inside the book you will find many details about the neighborhoods, the history and much more, information that will certainly not be useful to those who want to create their own world in the style of Candela Obscura, but which will certainly be useful for some ideas.
As we said Candela Obscura is a game very focused on the roleplay: abandon the mathematical calculations of The Call of Cthulhumay not appeal to those who love more complex rule systems. Despite all this, the Circle mechanics, the interesting and non-destructive leveling in terms of balance, and the various classes available, make Dark Candle an excellent alternative, a game we suggest playing at least once to understand its depth.
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