A Review of the Role Playing Game Supplement Chameleon

Chameleon by Joseph Mohr is a role playing game supplement published by Old School Role Playing for use with Cepheus Engine. As such, it is covered by the Open Game License and some parts are considered to be Open Game Content as a result.

The supplement is available from DriveThruRPG as a 22 page Pay What You Want PDF. Two pages are the front and rear covers, two pages are the front matter and three pages are the Open Game License.

The opening paragraphs explain that one of the most sought-after commodities in the Sonoran sector – the adventure is set in the Frontiers of Space setting, although this isn’t mentioned – is Chameleon Fur. The fur comes from animals on a specific planet, whose fur can change colour to match the environment, an ability the fur retains after death. The planet is not hospitable, though, and the animals are dangerous. The characters are asked to help a hunter get some furs.

Complications are that the hunter is inexperienced, pirates often attack those with furs, the offered money is less than the furs’ value by a significant margin, the fauna is extremely dangerous and animal rights protestors often attack hunters.

Encounters on Planet Ratzaus has an encounter table for the planet.

The Animals has stats for various animals.

Other Hunters has stats for these.

Pirate Shore Parties again has stats.

Skills and Their Effect on Hunting Chameleon Furs has the relevant skills.

Actual Pelt Values gives the true values of the furs.

Encounters in Space Near the Planet Ratzaus has a near space encounter table.

Pirates Orbiting the Planet has stats for a pirate ship and crew.

Similarly, Animal Rights Protestors has stats for a ship and crew.

System Defence Boat again has stats for a ship and crew; the characters should not come into conflict with this unless they are foolish.

Inexperience of Brom Rizzo has their patron’s stats.

Conditions for Success is how the mission can succeed.

Finally, there is a map of the planet.

Chameleon in Review

The PDF lacks bookmarks and is long enough that these would have been appreciated. Navigation is poor. The text maintains a single column format and some minor errors were noticed. There are some colour and black and white stock images. Presentation is okay.

Much of this adventure is stats. It’s a pretty open adventure, defined mostly by the encounter tables. Characters will head places; encounters will be rolled and combat will be had. Given that they are a hunting party, combat is unavoidable, with the dangerous animals at least, and other, potentially hostile, encounters, both on and off planet, are likely. If a GM wants to flesh out the adventure more, such as adding non-combat jungle encounters and some detail to the starport, they can do, but as it is this is a very free-form and lightly detailed adventure. Chameleon can be found by clicking here.