Blackout is a role playing game supplement published by Gildor Games for use with Elemental.
The supplement is available as a 14 page Pay What You Want PDF from DriveThruRPG. One page is the front cover and one the front matter and Contents. There are three additional one-page PDFs, each a player handout.
Background explains that the adventure is intended for just two participants, a player and a GM. It’s intended to take four hours and has a creepy theme. The PC wakes up in their home, without any memory of who they are. They find clues to their identity at home, and follow up messages and go to places and their place of employment to discover who they are and what they are doing. There is a map of the town with various important locations indicated.
The adventure takes place in Kingsborough, a small town in New England. As the scenario progresses, the player will gradually discover the truth of what is going on. They will also discover their character’s abilities by trying various skill rolls; the initial character sheet they are given is mostly blank.
The Appendix has a map of the final location, followed by stats for the PC and major NPCs, various items and weapons, victims of a serial killer operating in the area, two character sheets for the PC, one mostly empty and one full.
Blackout in Review
The PDF is bookmarked with major and minor sections linked. The Contents is to a similar level of depth and is also hyperlinked. Navigation is very good. The text maintains a two-column format, that isn’t quite black and white but isn’t colour, and appeared to be free of errors. As well as the maps of the town and final location, there are some other pieces of stock. Presentation is good.
This is an intriguing little adventure. It isn’t really suited for anything but a one-shot, but it works well at that. Having the player discover piecemeal what is going on is interesting, and it will then allow them to decide what they want to do with the information they discover about themselves; it seems reminiscent of some films in some ways. Though designed for Elemental, it also looks like it would work well as a modern-day Call of Cthulhu scenario, despite lacking any supernatural elements. Blackout is a good little adventure and it can be found by clicking here.
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