by Henry C. Gernhardt III

Created on: January 16, 2007   Last Updated: March 18, 2007

There have been, over the years, some wonderful comic relief roleplaying games. We have seen such things as a planetary landfill, an arcology run by a psychotic computer and populated with clones, Japanese animation gone awry, and a system that can and does adapt itself to just about any popular comedic genre. Of all the available possibilities, however, one of my favorites harkens back to the mid-80's and the heyday of Saturday morning cartoons on the major networks.

Who can forget Tom and Jerry? Droopy Dawg? Sylvester and Tweety? Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd? The Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote? Have you ever wanted to pit your own skills of chaos and mayhem (a wonderful set of names for a pair of domestic short-hair cats, by the way), not to mention slapstick humor, against those of a group of your friends, and do so in an animated environment? Well, here's your chance.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Toon, an oldie (but goodie) from the mind of Steve Jackson. As with most Steve Jackson games, the system is based on six-sided dice. In this game, the Animator (the person who directs the cartoon) and a few Players (the people who play the main cartoon characters) get together, roll a few dice, and cavort and frolic in a manner only accessible in the world of ink and paint. A character in this system can be anything (and I do mean anything-even a small kitchen appliance) they want to be. Stats are kept simple, and skills are directly related to stats. All in all, a group of people could go from no knowledge at all to playing full-tilt in less than an hour.

Another fun aspect of the game are little things called "Shticks". These are those skills that let you fly, teleport, run through a tunnel painted on a mountainside (and have a truck barrel out the same painting, running over your nemesis), and several other fun, wacky, and silly things. Shticks are normally purchased at character creation, although a means does exist to get a "one-shot" shtick good for a single cartoon.

Yes, you can carry an Eraser, and if it's the right kind, you can Erase another character. With the right Pen, Pencil, or Paintbrush, you can draw (or re-draw) a character. You can carry signs ("Why didn't I see this coming?"), or even a bazooka bigger than you are. Carrying a planet around with you, however, may require the Animator's OK.

Guess what else: You can't die! That's right, even if you're reduced to zero hit points, you don't die! You simply return to the action after taking a three-minute time out. If you're completely Erased, and no one can redraw you, you still return after the three-minute time. Aren't cartoons wonderful?

So, now, get yourself the dice from that old Yahtzee set you never use anymore, find a copy of this marvelous old gem, get a few friends together, and GET SILLY!

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