Dr. Grordbort’s Scientific Adventure Violence looks great. It’s a tabletop RPG from Crowbar Creative and Brian Saliba. It’s almost the oldest hardback I have, which mentions 5.5e compatibility, predating but being suitable for D&D 2024.
Yes, this is a setting for 5e, so you probably already know the rules. On the other hand, if you’re looking for an alternative to the system used by D&D and have been hoping this quirky visual feast would be it, then sorry, no luck.
What is Dr. Grordbort?
I don’t know the setting prior to the tabletop RPG well enough to know if the question should be “Who is Dr. Grordbort?”. Ergo, I can answer, “Do you need to know Dr. Grordbort’s to play the RPG?” You don’t. I think you just need to be familiar with the concept.
Dr. Grordbort’s is the brainchild of the artistic genius Greg Broadmore, a concept artist based in Wellington, who worked on the Lord of the Rings with Peter Jackson, then District 9 and then King Kong. The movie credits continue, but it is the gap between King Kong and District 9 in which Broadmore designed some retro-futuristic rayguns and showed them to colleagues at Weta Workshop.
From that came the idea to create a whole universe so that we can have merch based on those rayguns. From that, we get the tabletop RPG Dr. Grordbort’s Scientific Adventure Violence, powered by 5e, and a hardback full of weapons and monsters to use them on.
In terms of setting, this is part sci-fi and part alternative history. Importantly, it’s a satire. It’s based on 1890s visions of the future and so plump with sexism, colonialism and toxic masculinity.
It’s actually relatively light on setting details. Yes, there are factions and rules for travelling between planets but much Dr. Grordbort’s is about vibe and adventure rather than a trilogy of clever novels brought to life as a game. As a result, Iou can tone up or down individual parts of the overall tone without making any real sacrifice, but it also means GMs don’t have as much pre-written lore to draw on as they might otherwise have.
What’s the game like to play?
This is a playtest review. I’m fortunate to have played one one-shot and one game designed to be finished in a month, playing each weekend, but it took six sessions rather than the four planned. That is why I’m very late in getting this review live.
The game is by Brian Saliba, a veteran of the RPG scene, T.G. Grackle and Zach Theiler.
After an intro to the setting, and a forward from Greg Broadmore, the trio quickly introduces the rules that make it interesting. Yes, there are rayguns, but they’re unpredictable and prone to exploding.
There are eight tech types and, suitably named thus, range from “Artillery” to “Biofiddlery” and “Gadgetronics”.
There are also rules that handle magic. It is not that there is magic, but if you want to adapt to a wizard, you can because all the spells become effects of technology. Sometimes, it’s alien technology.
My favourite rule, one that I think even fantasy games should use more, are planetary conditions. In Dr. Grordbort’s, for example, if you’re raised on Earth and are visiting Venus, then your STR is +2 and your CON at -2.
Races are interesting, with Martians, Moonlings, Venusians and Robots. The premise here is that in the 1890s, the chance of life on these planets was not zero, and so were colonist dreams.
Both my play experiences of the game is that it needs no help in sparking action and drama. It can, though, lean towards the madcap and with unpredictability built in so well it can run over or fail to find a suitable close. Sometimes, you almost need to shut the action down through artificial means or else there’s always something else to shoot at.
Overall
I don’t need another 5e or even 5.5e game, but I’m delighted to have Dr. Grordbort’s Scientific Adventure Violence.
The production quality is great, and that’s what I’d expect from Crowbar and Exalted Funeral. The book, GM screen and Field Guide to Malfunctions (get the bundle if you can) are visual treats and I’m sure Greg Broadmore is delighted.
I think Dr. Grordbort’s Scientific Adventure Violence will appeal to a range of gamers, and I suggest it’s a brilliant “Let someone else GM for a while” break for regular 5e groups who want to give their usual GM a break.
Quick Links
- Buy: Dr Grordbort’s.
- Free: Quickstart & Pregens bundle.
Please note: My copy of Dr. Grordbort’s Scientific Adventure Violence was provided free and for review..
