Starter Set
Starter Set is a quick start boxed set for the dystopian retro sci-fi noir (neon-noir) RPG Blade Runner The Roleplaying Game, written by Tomas Härenstam and Joe LeFavi and published by Free League Publishing.
By Aaron T. Huss
Learn more about Blade Runner The Roleplaying Game here
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The Blade Runner The Roleplaying Game Starter Set is a quick-start guide and adventure boxed set that includes enough rules to get you started, Case File 01: Electric Dreams, a set of custom dice, and a deck of cards as a playing accessory. It is placed within the world of Blade Runner, a noir setting in a 1980s sci-fi world (think of what the 1980s was like and how things only slightly progressed from there, but aesthetically it still feels a lot like the 1980s). Dubbed “neon-noir”, it features a dystopian Los Angeles where a detective unit within the LAPD is dedicated to solving cases related to very human-like androids called Replicants. It is an amazing representative of the noir genre where the design of the mechanics immerse you into a police drama. As a fan of mystery novels and police dramas, I actually felt like I was reading the transcript from an episode of Law & Order.
Blade Runner was released when I was fairly young. Too young to really care about the movie and neither friends nor family ever gave it any thought. As such, I am foreign to Blade Runner, but am realizing it’s something I really need to watch. I say this because I love a good mystery novel and enjoy TV shows that focus on investigation while at the same time being a fan of dystopian sci-fi. This setting, and subsequently the game, are literally designed for me! Well, you know what I mean.
This Starter Set is a beautiful production. The artwork truly captures the essence of the setting, the presentation feels like an investigation, and the boxed set with all the bits and pieces make you feel like you are a detective with all the normal detective things at hand – newspaper clippings, pictures, a case file folder; it’s brilliant! I honestly have never seen a Starter Set that gets as immersed in itself as this one.
Blade Runner The Roleplaying Game’s essential design embraces the idea that detective work is difficult and dangerous. There will be no epic battles here as combat can be deadly. Instead, you have to use your wits, resources, and everything around you to survive and solve the case. It effectively breaks away from that over-the-top sci-fi feel and hones in on the noir aspects of the setting. This is also true based on the influence of the 1980s from a technological standpoint. Yes there are some cool things here, but it’s not like you’re buying this almost-magical armor and mega death rays that make you so unstoppable that the only foe to test your strength is a swarm of aliens that just wiped out half the population. Yeah, you won’t find anything close here.
I like Free League and the unique RPGs they produce, but this is by far my new favorite. I love everything about it and think they really captured the setting and what a noir game should feel like! The best part? This is only the quick-start rules and I haven’t even consumed the entire core rulebook!
