Thanks to Isola Illyon Edizioni for sending us a copy of Spire: Shadow Operations in order to write this review. If you are interested in buying this product, you can find it in Italian on their official store in digital format only and at a price of € 7.99 (or in the English version on the original website).
I would like to clarify, even if obvious, that the core rulebook of Spire: The City Must Fall is essential to be able to fully enjoy these short adventures; in case you missed it, I suggest you to read my review.
Advice for Use
As highlighted in the review of the basic manual, Spire: Shadow Operations is also very easy to consult. The inevitable index precedes a brief introduction that contextualizes the work. It specifies that these one-shots have been collected with the aim of trying the game, maybe also during events such as themed fairs; otherwise the game is also very suitable for larger campaigns. For this reason they can be taken and arranged at will.
None of these adventures is linked to the others, they only share the setting. Even the authors are all different (and all high end); however we will talk about their work in the next paragraphs of this review of Spire: Shadow Operations. The only point in common are some Archetypes, or “types” of NPCs present in various adventures. This solution has been designed to avoid having to differentiate them mechanically; in the same way, they give storytellers the possibility to create new ones following these characteristics.
The last (but certainly not least) part dedicated to advice on using the manual is contained on the last page. It explains how to conduct a one-shot in a set amount of time. To this end, a practical and particular system based on pieces of paper is introduced; I personally appreciated very much this approach, capable of guaranteeing a visual immediacy that compensates for knowing and forgetting the characters in a single session.
Adventures Structure
Each one-shot is presented in a schematic and functional way. They do not have accurate descriptions of every aspect, but hints and guidelines to lead the characters towards fascinating intrigues. The characteristics presented for each scenario are the following:
- Mission parameters: a general idea of the mission, to understand (both narrators and players) if you are interested in playing it.
- Recommended classes: all the characters can participate in all the missions, but those recommended in this section allow you to better face what is proposed.
- Introduction: this part allows you to decide how the characters arrived at the actual beginning of the story.
- Non-playing characters (NPCs): list of characters useful to the narrator; some are indispensable to the storyline, others serve primarily to enrich it in case players go in unpredictable directions.
- Suggested scenes: key passages of the story are presented and explained, events representing those moments which, generally, are essential for experiencing the scenario.
- Key places: the name here says it all; this section describes the places where the events narrated and played will take place.
- Support materials: these elements are present in various scenes; they are details that open up more possibilities to the players and allow them to become even more protagonists (offering interesting ideas to deal with problems).
- Breakthrough: this is the element that breaks the monotony, often catching the players unprepared and requiring them to find an alternative solution.
- Reward: what the characters get from completing the mission; obviously it has much more relevance in case you are not playing a one-shot, in the case you have inserted the mission in a larger campaign.
Review of the adventures contained in Spire: Shadow Operations
When you discover a collection of adventures, one of the most interesting aspects is the plot. Often this is the element that induces to play or discard a story. So in this review I will offer you a brief introduction to each of the eleven missions comprehended in Spire: Shadow Operations. In parentheses I will also specify the author, in case you want to know what to expect. Here’s the list:
- Life and Soul (by Grant Howitt): you have to infiltrate a gangster’s birthday party and assassinate him without cover; he sold weapons to those who shouldn’t have and this must be a warning.
- The Last Train (by Nathan Blades): characters must find out what powers a mysterious train, the last active in an underground network; its effectiveness, if it were possible to exploit it, would be unmatched.
- A Shotgun Wedding (by Christopher Taylor): a marriage is going to strengthen some forces within the city but, of course, other factions disagree; the goal is to ensure that the ceremony takes place.
- Powderkeg (by J. P. Bradley): there are only a few more hours to appease two allies of a common force before a real conflict erupts; the two leaders are having some diatribes which, if they were to annoy the upper floors, would have terrible consequences for everyone.
- The Show Must Go On (by Jason Pitre): some traveling actors are about to hold a show that can change things and move people towards revolt; some would like this to happen, others would not want to take the risk.
- Jailbreak (by Basheer Ghouse): in the most feared prison of the city the execution of a war hero of the rebels is now close to his execution; being able to free him and make it known would surely shake many balances.
- How to Steal a Body (by Pauline Chan): characters have just recovered a requested corpse from a temple; now they will have to escape from the place where it was kept and overcome every obstacle to bring it to its destination before decomposition.
- Rime and Reason (by Christine Beard): a prominent figure was supposed to make a speech in favor of the population, but his peers had him locked up to avoid stirring up the spirits; the mission is to retrieve it and allow it to deliver the precious speech.
- House of Leaving (by Sharang Biswas): a researcher has disappeared (along with her entire office) after discovering the possible existence of the oldest known cult; given the weight that this study could have, the scholar must be recovered and questioned.
- The Moon Beneath (by Jabari Weathers): a person of importance for the purposes of the revolution is taken to a place capable of corrupting people’s minds; the characters will have to rescue her from out of control companions or eliminate her before she becomes a threat.
- These Feral Saints (by Pam Punzalan): a woman reincarnated after her death and started causing a sensation by doing miracles and healings; given her uniqueness, she must be enlisted before other forces try to take her to different destinies.
Art and Layout
From an aesthetic point of view, this expansion manual is perfectly in line with the basic manual. The graphic style matches, presenting backgrounds with concentric circles and very meaningful illustrations. They are not too detailed, but their style is unmistakable. Thick black borders contain evocative figures; homogeneous and intense colors are matched according to precise color palettes. In this way, images with very warm or very cold colors come to life, with a style that I personally appreciate very much.
As can be seen from the images included in this review, the layout and font of Spire: Shadow Operations also mirror those of the basic manual. Two columns of text contain all the contents, with the addition of some precious side boxes. The font is simple, clear and legible, making the work a pleasure to consult.
Final Thoughts of the Review of Spire: Shadow Operations
A manual of about fifty pages containing eleven one-shots is a nice thing. If you can have it even at a low price, even better! The value is truly remarkable, considering all the advice on how to use it. Obviously you need to purchase the reference system separately, but this happens with any collection of adventures.
Reading the adventures was a pleasure, in a few lines intriguing plots were outlined; they made me want to enjoy them as the focus of many interesting sessions… Or why not, maybe even a campaign that includes several of them! As you may have guessed from this review, I really enjoyed Spire: Shadow Operations. In my opinion, the usefulness is obvious: having some adventure ready for a system that is appreciated is always convenient.
