Written by: Jess Levine. @jessfromonline on Twitter.
Cover Art by: David Bednar. @ykarps on Twitter.

Game expansion written for Galactic 2E by riley rethal. @rileyrethal on Twitter.

Expansion available on: https://itch.io/search?q=jessfromonline.itch.io

Galactic 2E available on: https://metagame.itch.io/

This is kind of a short review because it’s a pretty short expansion. It’s a whopping 20 pages in all, but the writing is concise and poignant. One can definitely tell this is an expansion for a rules-lite game. I’ll have to check out Galactic 2E one of these days when I get a chance.

The theme of Scum and Villains is similar to that of Star Wars Han Solo, The Mandalorian, or The Book of Boba Fett. You can take on the role of a hustler or a mercenary (aka bounty hunter.) As the game also has a bit of a cyberpunk theme, there are some corporate and crime syndicate elements.

The style of the game is very much like Blades in the Dark. It’s got a definite Powered By the Apocalypse vibe except it’s Game Master-less. It is written in a fashion that allows the players to come up with what happens next using a wider scoped action economy and a system of fates with pillars.

In this system one can pass tokens, give tokens, or get tokens using various actions that may or may not benefit the character in question. This is by far one of the most character driven, deep roleplaying, interactive game systems I’ve ever seen. The entire group is involved in character creation on upward. The experience systems uses Fates, a series of game clocks that tick closer to a “level up” type effect when successfully completed.

Having gotten a little taste of this style of play, it makes me want to check out Galactic 2E. Normally GM-less is not my thing. I’m a GM, it’s what I do. But Scum and Villains even drops in an NPC builder, and I could definitely see the system working if the group was down for taking turns in and out of the spotlight like a real RPG group probably should? (*Not sure if I’m explaining it properly.)

I definitely want to see more of Jess Levine’s work. She’s sorta where I want to be as a writer, only she achieved it way sooner than I did. Kudos for that. I really admire that she’s latched onto a game system she really likes and is just crushing it with the expansions.

A+ to the scum and the villains all around. Sorry, I do use capital letters. It’s just my writing style.

Thanks for being here. More to come. June is going to be blowing up with all kinds of stuff going forward barring any more personal complications. (*sweats nervously.)