What is the Catalyst?

"Catalyst" (Boxed Set) by Alexander Jerabek.

Printed and Distributed by Cherry Picked Games.

ISBN-13: 978-1-304827-28-9 -- 270 Digest sized pages, and including 142 "Action Cards".

In the near future, several 'portals' or 'doorways' open between Earth and the realms of Demons and Devils. This post-apocalyptic setting really tweaked my interest. Millions of Demons and Devils invade our world. In addition, their arrival brought with them a plague which claims the lives of billions of people. Few remain.

But opening the portals between our world and theirs also brought an awakening of Magical and/or Psionic powers in most remaining humans. We now have the ability to fight them with their own powers!

This game uses a unique system - there are no dice - but a deck of 142 action cards (in the base boxed set) serves as your reactions. Each player and the Game Master places one of the cards in their hand on the table face down and then everyone flips them at the same time. Once on the table, you cannot change the action you have chosen, even if it doesn't do much of anything - or if it somehow causes one of the other characters to take damage. Ideally, you hit one of your enemies, and possibly do damage, or even kill it.

There are only six chapters in the book:

1) "Flotsam on the Sound"

2) World

3) Playing Catalyst

4) Combat

5) Equipment

6) Appendix

First, like most modern role-playing games, Catalyst starts with a piece of fiction set in the time of Catalyst. It is only four pages, but it still manages to give readers a sense of the 'now'.

Second is a section about the world, with parts for Humans and their roles in the game, as well as for Demons and Devils.

Third is playing and running the game. The Game Master is featured here in this category, as well as information about creating characters, their attributes, their "veins" (or magical abilities), spells, skills, standard abilities, talents, and traits.

Fourth is combat. One of the nicer inclusions is an entry giving an example of a battle. Tables for a Cerberus and a Demon are first, then two example characters. Following that are twelve scenes of their battle detailed completely, including maps of each. There is an explanation of how to use the action cards to complete each turn. A flowchart for combat makes it easier for GMs and Players to execute a game turn. Complete definitions for mapping battles and the conditions they create are given.

Fifth is Equipment. Statistics for firearms, melee weapons, explosives, clothes, magic items and weapon enhancements, and other things are here.

Sixth, the Appendices follow, starting with advice to GMs, a small bestiary, some sample characters, a background creation section, the spell and ability descriptions and supplements, and, believe it or not, finally, at the very end of the book are the credits!

I don't know what "possessed" me to buy this game, as I generally dislike Post-Apocalyptic settings. But, because it reeked of something that might have been caused by the finale of the End of Time, I decided to buy it. Once I found out that this one had no Zombies, it grabbed me and won't let go! I'm already deep into the process of creating a game to run with it! I'll be using some material from other games, such as "Delta Green" without the Cthulhu creatures. Players having Delta Green agents fighting the demons might be just the thing!

I'm going to be looking for the extra material that Cherry Picked (What an appropriate name!) has made for this game, including five PDFs you can download for free! They have a good home on my computer, and the only other physical thing I might need is the cards that go along with the PDFs.

Folks, if you like post-apocalyptic games, this one deserves a closer look! Highly Recommended!