Eschatology Code by Bruce R. Cordell is a role playing game supplement published by Monte Cook Games for use with Cypher System and The Strange.
The supplement is available as a 35-page PDF from DriveThruRPG for $3.99 but was purchased at a reduced price as part of a special bundle. One page is the front cover, one the Table of Contents and front matter and one an ad.
The opening paragraph explains that this is an adventure suitable for beginning players and how the supplement is laid out.
Background gives some details on a technological item called war glasses and a quantum computer linked to them, which were delivered to a church in South Dakota. The Estate and the Office of Strategic Recursion have both sent agents to deal with a problem.
The Synopsis gives a very brief overview of the adventure, followed by some alternative hooks, assuming that the characters are not Estate operatives or on integrating it into an existing campaign. Next is some information on the Cypher System and a rundown of the pre-generated characters.
The adventure itself takes place in various locations as the characters try to find the quantum computer that is supposed to be in the area – quantum computers are world-endingly bad – and includes some details on fighting in an unusual location.
Concluding the Adventure wraps things up with experience points to be assigned.
The final 18 pages are the pre-generated character sheets.
Eschatology Code in Review
The PDF is bookmarked but not very deeply. The Table of Contents is to a similar level of depth and is hyperlinked. Navigation is comparatively poor. The text maintains a standard two column with sidebar colour layout and appeared to be free of errors. The sidebars provide stats for various things, page references, GM intrusions and other useful material. There are a number of colour illustrations and maps, some of which are custom to this adventure.
This adventure, like many published by Monte Cook Games, was intended for convention play. As a result, there are a variety of tips for what to do when time is limited, as it could be at a convention, in order to finish it in the allowed time. It may be an adventure for beginning players but it seems quite a difficult one; the first encounter, if messed up, results in a TPK. Players unfamiliar with the system are more likely to make errors, and they do so in a very unforgiving environment. Failing the adventure as a whole may result in a Total World Kill – eventually. Overall, this seems a bit difficult for starting players. Eschatology Code can be found by clicking here.
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