Into the Cosmos
Into the Cosmos is a supplement for the pulp sci-fi Cosmic Patrol written by Randall N. Bills, Matt Heerdt, Jason Schmetzer, Rob Weiland, and Josh Williams and published by Catalyst Game Labs.
By Aaron T. Huss
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Into the Cosmos is essentially a companion book to the Cosmic Patrol core rulebook. I say this because it feels like a fluid extension to the core rulebook instead of a tacked on supplement. Not that this content should be in the core rulebook, because all you need to play is that core rulebook. However, you can definitely expand your play quickly and easily with Into the Cosmos.
Into the Cosmos is a collection of supplemental material that continues where the core rulebook left off in numerous places. It is not only a handy guide to the Cosmic Patrol setting, it is an excellent tool to be used time and again for further game-play or to throw something new and exciting at the players.
CONTENT
When in Doubt, Doubt is another fictional piece to add to the Cosmic Patrol’s setting appeal. This narrative contains bits of information about some of the new material presented in Into the Cosmos while establishing what could be a wonderful game session.
Prelude is a one-page introduction to Into the Cosmos, although oddly enough it’s called Prelude in the Table of Contents and Introduction in the actual content.
Gazetteer is an expanded look at the Cosmic Patrol setting including a deeper look at the solar system, what is has to offer, and some of the various alien races. This does not replace the content from the core rulebook but feels more like a natural extension.
Rocketships is a collection of pregenerated rocketships for multiple races. One of my complaints from the core rulebook is that it didn’t contain any illustrations of rocketships, but each entry here is illustrated and includes a deck plan.
Heroes & Villains is a collection of pregenerated characters either for player use or as an antagonist. Each one is fully described like a typically character including the associated character sheet.
Blast-Off! is a collection of 23 pre-made missions in the same guise as before where you get a narrative introduction, any applicable setting details, a listing of each scene, and all Objectives, Clues, and Tags. This is a great way to keep your game-play going quickly without having to write your own missions.
OVERALL
Into the Cosmos is definitely the ultimate companion to the Cosmic Patrol core rulebook. Gaming groups that enjoy this game will get a ton of use from this book in numerous ways. And while I hate to say it, Into the Cosmos is visually superior to the core rulebook in that it contains a lot of artwork depicting this pulp sci-fi RPG.
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 10 out of 10
Into the Cosmos looks fantastic! It follows the same layout and formatting as the core rulebook, but it has A LOT of added illustrations (one of my sore spots from the core rulebook). If you are have a hard time visualizing what makes Cosmic Patrol so unique and what pulp sci-fi looks like, this book can help to remedy that with lots of visual appeal.
Mechanics: 8 out of 10
Into the Cosmos does an excellent job of adding new rocketships and pregenerated characters to Cosmic Patrol. However, it doesn’t get into the mechanical aspects of any new race introduced here or those expanded upon here, forcing you to either go back to the core rulebook or to create your own mechanics. Although minor, it would be helpful to create flavored weapons and equipment unique to those races.
Value Add: 10 out of 10
Into the Cosmos is a huge value add to Cosmic Patrol. In fact, one of its most valuable qualities is that it feels like an extension of the core rulebook instead of simply being a supplement. There’s a lot of continuation from what you find in the core rulebook and lots of new opportunities for excellent game-play.
Overall: 9 out of 10
Into the Cosmos is an excellent add-on to Cosmic Patrol and anyone that enjoys the game is encouraged to add this to their library. Not only does it have a low price-point, but it has a lot of valuable content that is not only usable over and over again, it embraces that quick game-play style and the simpleness of the system itself. I definitely recommend Into the Cosmos for all Cosmic Patrol gaming groups.
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