Foxbat for President
Foxbat, the world’s most nefarious villain who hates bubble gum, is back in a new caper, and this time the stakes are higher than ever: he is running for the President of the United States of America. (Cue dramatic music.) Actually, presidential mayhem is just the beginning in Foxbat for President, a HERO supplement from BlackWyrm Games. In this adventure, even the mightiest superhero will be sorely tested by Foxbat’s antics, undead presidents, and an undead necromancer who can assume any form.
Weighing in at a hefty 100 pages, Foxbat for President is both a great supplement and a fun read. Michael Satran obviously had fun taking a villain from the Conquerors, Killers & Crooks sourcebook (which is required to play Foxbat for President) and making him the star/unwitting guinea pig in the Undead Skull’s nefarious plots. This fun comes through in several places where the text gets downright silly. Still, this is also one of the most well thought-out adventures you are likely to find. All in all, this is an excellent sourcebook for anyone who likes HERO or is a fan of superhero gaming in general.
Perhaps the strongest thing this book has going for it is that Satran is obviously a veteran HERO designer, and playtested this scenario several times. Throughout the text, he includes warnings to gamemasters getting ready to the run this game that anticipate what the players’ reactions might be.
For instance, Foxbat announces his presidency on live television. After the text of his speech, there is a paragraph suggesting that the speech be set in a place far away from wherever the players’ base is lest they immediately swoop in and stop Foxbat’s candidacy before it could truly begin. While this could be taken as tips to the gamemaster on how she should railroad her players, I thought the advice was a fairly clever way for preventing the players from killing the game in its tracks without forcing them to accept that extenuating circumstances somehow prevented the player characters’ powers from working.
Even if you are not a big HERO fan, there is plenty to like about this game. Despite the fact that the NPCs are statted up in the HERO System, this game is not dependent on HERO mechanics. With a little bit of work, Foxbat for President might just as easily happen in a game of Marvel Super Heroes, Heroes Unlimited, or another superhero-game system.
Also, it just cannot be understated that the style of the writing is more than enough reason to buy the book. The writing was witty in places and made me laugh out loud more than once. The premise of the game is farfetched, but felt very much like something out of a comic book. Most importantly, reading the text made me want to roll up a HERO character and go out and fight the Undead Skull, dead Presidents turned crazy Mexican undead and, of course, Foxbat and his henchmen.
However, no book is perfect. There were two things in particular with Foxbat for President that are not quite up to the same level as the writing. The first is the art. The book has pictures of Foxbat’s henchmen, the Undead Skull, and undead Theodore Roosevelt. However, the drawings were just not very good. They were cartoonish and blurry.
Also, as much as I enjoyed the writing, I needed a little more about what was going on. The Undead Skull is masterminding Foxbat’s candidacy so he can sacrifice him because he’s the avatar of an Aztec god (I think.) Why, exactly, the undead presidents are there is not explained, and certainly there are no mechanics to support them being there. I could have used another paragraph or two because I just did not understand it.
Still, despite these two issues, Foxbat for President is a great adventure. It’s a great blend of superhero action and slapstick silliness laden with advice on how to get the most from the game. Gamemasters looking to add a little change of pace to their campaign or just needing a smaller campaign to run should definitely buy this game and treat their players to a night of hunting down the world’s favorite foxbat.
Want to learn more about Foxbat for President? Read on…
- Atomic Array: Foxbat for President (Atomic Array 025)
- Foxbat for President: Official Campaign Brochure
- Channel 3 News: Foxbat for President
- Game Cryer: Review by Chris Perrin
- Vulcan Stev: What if that annoying geek from high school took over
- Uncle Bear: Foxbat Read Through
- A Butterfly Dreaming: Sacred Cows and Hamburger
Drop by BlackWyrm Games and order Foxbat for President today!