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Kokosing Farewell's itch.io pageResults
Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
Overall | #12 | 3.700 | 3.700 |
SUBSTANCE | #12 | 4.000 | 4.000 |
STYLE | #14 | 3.400 | 3.400 |
Ranked from 5 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
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Kokosing Farewell is a brilliant setting guide for FIST set at a fictional version of a ghost-ridden US college. It deeply understands the thematic space it’s working in and devises a setting which is light yet cathartic and familiar. This has the potential to spawn some seriously funny and emotional games!
On my first read, the breezy document seemed at odds with a game I normally think of as thematically heavier. On my second pass, though, it clicked! The setting is kind of inevitable, in the world of FIST. CYCLOPS gets its new people from somewhere, after all! And, as a representation of the oppressive status quo, CYCLOPS make a perfect stand-in for the real oppressive social forces which try to shape higher education.
There is a complex love for the subject matter on display. Another commenter describes it as “biting kisses,” which captures it perfectly. It seems to me that the author has a real affection for this place and real discontent with its flaws. This piece points out with a sardonic wit some of the problems with both the particular college in question and the broader system of higher education, and in doing so gives us a space to rebel. It feels like a cathartic space, which fits FIST’s ethos excellently.
My only note relates to layout: in a future version, it may be useful to have clearer section boundaries, to help mentally group big ideas. Frankly, though, that doesn’t get in the way of enjoying this wonderful setting guide. Oh, and the on-site photography is a wonderful addition. I love the visuals!
Kokosing Farewell is a wonderfully grounded addition to FIST that –especially with some expansion, minor revision (and maybe more of that wonderful photography)– will be the cornerstone of some amazing games in the very near future.
Thank you! I'm so glad you liked the photos. I'm gonna be up on that campus again later in the year so I'm hoping to get even more onsite photography then.
Kokosing Farewell is a FIST scenario that takes place at a small ghost-hunting college nominally run by CYCLOPS.
The PDF is 33 pages, with clean, college-photocopy-feeling layout that's thematically consistent with the material and easy to read.
Contents-wise, this is more of a quirky sandbox than a nitroglycerine thrill-ride, but it packs a lot of flavor and makes good use of its lower stakes. The PCs infiltrate the college by posing as students and faculty, and this requires them to move slowly pick small engagements, which the book provides plenty of.
There are roll tables for cool beats, a few hauntings, and overall an environment where the PCs can explore and run into little bits of tension and drama without being in massive danger. It's a college, in other words.
The writing is brisk and accessible, and has a mostly casual voice. It also has some great humorous beats. There's books bound in tiger fur that *won't* animate and attack you if you give them little scritches before opening them. There's a sculptor with a House Of Leaves ability that he uses to enthrall PCs. There's a table of textbook cover designs, with only one entry being "something relevant to the textbook."
There are a few clear missions that Kokosing Farewell offers, and they fit the flavor of the supplement perfectly, but a lot of what Farewell provides is downtime. If your group wants to let their characters breathe for a bit, this is the perfect pick.
Overall, Kokosing Farewell is an interesting scenario that almost changes FIST's genre. It made me nostalgic while reading it, so I'm inclined to call it a success even if I don't get to run it. If you like lower stakes FIST missions, character development, or weird schools, absolutely give this one a try.
Thank you so much for the positive review! I'm glad the tone clicked for you.
Awesome, really nice mix of creepy and cool, love the idea!
Thanks for the review! I honestly wish I had more hauntings in the book, I'll have to check in with the college historian.
What an excellent supplement!
"Kokosing Farewell" is a love letter to the days of higher education filled with biting kisses towards Keynon College, but it's commentary could be applied to any college or university. Think, "Animal House" but everyone is also a supernaturally powered spy.
Inside you'll find an opportunity to send your FIST agents back to school to cause ruckus and mayhem in a secret CYCLOPS recruiting facility. The missions offer just enough to get ya started with NPC's, motivations, and locations. And the campus itself is small enough to allow for more interpersonal opportunities.
I'm loving the pregenerated stuff here. Paintball fights, Demons of Debt, and occasional hauntings to keep you on your toes. This is good stuff.
I love the use of IRL images of the university. The maps of building layouts are excellent. The campus map itself is very spartan in comparison, but it works more than fine enough.
Give this setting some love, I know I will.
Thanks so much for your review! And congrats on FIST TACTICS getting the recognition it deserves!