acts of MALICE, volume two

Author: David Kizzia
Publisher: MonkeyFun Studios
Page Count: 27
Available Formats: PDF
PDF (DTRPG) – $6.99

a town called Malice is a tabletop roleplaying game inspired by Nordic Noir horror. Acts of Malice, volume two is the second volume in a promised two-volume set of playbooks for the original game. A May 2019 Kickstarter campaign funded the game and both playbooks (stretch goals). Although it has taken some time to deliver this final stretch goal, it is now available and adds three new playsets to the game.

You can find our reviews of a town called Malice here (Nordic Horror Never Looked so Good – A Town Called Malice) and acts of Malice, volume one here (A Look at acts of Malice, volume one). With the release of the latest and final stretch goal from Kickstarter, we thought it only fitting to give readers a look at what it brings to the game.

Bet the Devil Your Head

“Bet the Devil Your Head” is inspired by the legends and stories of Sleepy Hollow. Set in a remote part of England in 1797, Midwinter Malice may be on the cusp of invasion by French Forces. Can villagers stave off French marauders long enough for British Federal forces to arrive? A more significant question remains, what has cursed the god-fearing people of Midwinter Malice? The death of Prester Cloyse foreshadows wickedness, but must it?

And Also The Trees

“And Also The Trees” is set in the American Pacific Northwest, in a tiny logging town of Malice. Inspired by Twin Peaks, and like many out-of-the-way logging towns, Malice is slow-paced, quiet, and far removed from “big city” thinking. Oh, and cell service is non-existent here. The mysterious death of Amanda Keller, one of the few teenagers in Malice, was found wrapped in plastic and significantly aged. To add to the town’s plight, recent fires in the nearby woods have resulted in a rat infestation throughout the town. Residents must contend with these two independently horrible events. Will they make the right choices?

What Lies Beneath

“What Lies Beneath” is different from other playsets in that the Body is not a member of the town and the Event is not some catastrophic event. However, both are still integral to the playset, and “both discoveries are harbingers to something much darker rising to the surface, ready to take the town down within the bowels of Hell.” With recent discoveries, the current plight of the little town of Målus, Norway, is favorably changing. Can townsfolk capitalize on their good fortunes without unleashing something darker and more sinister?

Conclusion

Three new playsets bring exciting new locations, Events, Bodies, and Darkness entities for players to explore narratively. Each is well-conceived and concisely written, giving players everything they need and keeping with the original playsets’ format in a town called Malice. These new playsets, along with the others currently available, have infinite replayability. This is primarily due to the game’s player-driven narrative nature and in part to the scene resolution system—no two games using the same playset will ever be identical. As a result, acts of Malice, volume two is a wonderful new addition to the Malice product line. If you’ve enjoyed playing a town called Malice in the past, I recommend picking up this latest supplement.

~ Modoc

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