Review: Life of Rage OSR Edition

+Tom Doolan of the Wishful Gaming blog has written Life of Rage, an Orcish adventure game.  Tom also writes short fiction that is available on Smashswords.  If you're looking for a good fantasy fiction story give them a look.  I've read two of his stories and enjoyed them both.

But what I want to talk to you about is Life of Rage.  Besides being a kick ass title it is a very good gaming book.  Tom wants you to play an orc and stop being a damn sissy about killing things.  And I quote, "...every adventure should be able to be solved with the judicious use of violence."  That folks, is poetry.  Tom has developed a mini-handbook so you can play orcs in your campaign.

I think what I like best about Life of Rage is Tom keeps it simple.  You'll be able to read it through in a single pass and roll it out for your players.  He offers you three classes and a sub-class.  Keeping with the basics, the three classes offered are race classes; orc, half-orc and goblin.  Yup, goblins are considered weenie versions of orcs.  The sub-class is the shaman.  Here's where he does something I like a lot, shamans can chose from four dominions and that determines what spells they gain.  Guess what?  Not one fricking healing spell in any of the lists.  Oh yeah!  Oh they can heal.  It's an innate power.  But they must draw the life from another thing to do the healing.  There also a great write up about herbal healing, but you still get your ass kicked even when you're healing.

Orc do no accumulate experience points.  That's what the stupider weaklings collect.  Orcs horde glory.  He even introduces a new currency into the orcish culture, targs.  I really like both ideas.  They both may be cosmetic, but it adds a depth to the orcish way of life.

He provides a player's guide to orcs, sort of the ecology of an orc.  My favorite section was about orc gods.  Bravo for Tom for not falling back on good old Gruumsh.  I like old one-eye, but Tom creates his own pantheon of brutishness.  These are very well thought out and interesting.

Lastly Tom gives you a sample of the orcish lay of the land.  It could easily be lifted in placed into a campaign.  He includes some nice details about some different tribes.  Each has their own personality and distinction.  Lastly, he includes a section about how you could run a orcish campaign.

Conclusion
I think Tom has done an excellent job with Life of Rage.   I've been creating a campaign world lately and I plan on using many options offered in Life of Rage.  It adds a depth to a race most consider cannon fodder. He also offers a choice to make orcs more than just a 1HD critter to be killed without a thought.  There is a lot of great stuff in here that I plan on including my world.

It is a 29-page PDF for $2.99.  Well worth the price.  Go get a copy by going to RPGNow or click on any of the Life of Rages.