Basic Roleplaying News

Tiãn Xià is a historical setting supplement for Imperial China. The book's emphasis is on those periods of Chinese history where the government's power is strong and characters are either outlaws (à la Water Margin) or constables (à la Judge Dee). A huge period of time is covered, 618 AD-1911 AD, but the book is focusing on China's peaceful periods of time.

The book will contain information about Chinese society, culture and relations to neighbouring lands, religion & philosophy, character generation, professions and skills, new spot rules, martial arts, magic (battle, daoist, buddhist, muslim & demon), creatures, equipment and a historical timeline. The author is Gianni Vacca, aka GianniVacca from the forum. Expected to be released by Cubicle 7 for Christmas 2010.

Operation Ulysses: Journey to the Gammadon Fields will be a military science fiction campaign for the Basic RolePlaying system available through Chaosium Inc. Operation Ulysses takes place within the Gammadon fields, scene of an apocalyptic space war fought millennia ago by two extinct species. The shattered remains of their colossal starcraft still drift aimlessly and their ancient atomic mines even now patrol the space lanes, seeking to destroy any ship traversing the system. Midway through its journey across the Gammadon fields, near the planet of Ion 9, the ISIS corp. star freighter Ulysses was inexplicably wrenched out of hyperspace by an unknown form of energy. Shortly after its initial distress call, all communication between ISIS Corp. and the Ulysses was lost. Contacted by ISIS Corp., you and your team have been hired to travel to the Gammadon fields to unlock the mysteries behind the disappearance of the Ulysses.

A heroic level science fiction campaign for the Basic Roleplaying system, with new alien species available for player character or non player character use, new equipment, weapons, vehicles and creatures - nearing its completion. The author is Eric Webb, aka eric71.

Mythic Iceland is a fantasy earth Vikings setting which will be based on the Icelandic Sagas, the Eddas, and the fairy tales of Iceland. The magical and mythical aspects from the Eddas and the Sagas will be incorporated into the setting. This supplement will cover the history of mythic Iceland, character generation, life in saga age Iceland, law and goverment, religion, magic, descriptions of various locations together with adventure seeds, the elves, colonies to the west and the wider world, mythic creatures and 2 full adventures! It will also have a chapter with Mythos information, so that the book can also be used as a setting for Cthulhu Dark Ages.

The author is Pedro Ziviani, aka PedroZiv from the forum. The manuscript was submitted to Chaosium June 2010.

Dust to Dust is a supplement for Ashes to Ashes, and continues the story of the World - a devastated fantasy realm run from the shadows by hidden demons and their mortal pawns, and divided by the Seven Deadly Sins. Dust to Dust is a little brighter, narratively, but not much.

Dust to Dust describes the lands of the Western Isles (plagued by sloth) and Takuk (overcome by gluttony), each written as a campaign arc to provide discrete adventure opportunities. The two lands are those where the demons have their weakest grip. Additional gear, an additional Organization, new rules for addiction and despair, and an epic, World-spanning scenario, "It's Not A Lie, As Long As You Believe That It's True", round out the collection.

128 pages. The author is Jeff Moeller, aka neorxnawang. Published June 2010. Please rate and review the supplement or view its discussion thread.

It is the year 1206 AD. In the city of Riga, a Christian outpost in the pagan lands of the frozen North, Prince-Bishop Albert founds the Brotherhood of the Sword to subjugate the pagans and convert them to the True Faith. Twenty years later, the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, the Stupor Mundi, decrees in his Golden Bull of Rimini that the lands conquered by the Teutonic Order in Prussia will belong to the warrior monks. Knights, friars and colonists from all over the Empire move towards the Baltic Sea to find forgiveness for their sins and commodities for their trade, as the Baltic coast is home to the strangest of the precious stones: Amber. The age of the Northern Crusades has begun.

Crusaders of the Amber Coast contains all the information required to run your Northern Crusade game with the Basic Roleplaying game system, including magic rules for the Christian crusaders and the pagan druids and witches, as well as game statistics for creatures of the Baltic folklore. Create your own scenarios, with your heroes siding either with the Crusading invaders or with the Baltic natives, or play through the included campaign that spans over several years of game time and takes you through the most important events of the Baltic epic.

160 pages. The author is Paolo Guccione, aka RosenMcStern. Published April 2010 by Alephtar Games. Please rate and review the supplement or view its discussion thread.

It is twenty years after the end of the global wars. Our world lies in ruin. Once-great cities are now nothing more than shattered hulks populated with bioengineered soldiers, giant rats, and rogue robots. This is the world of Rubble & Ruin, a setting inspired by the classic post-apocalyptic fiction of the 1970's and 80's, where players take the role of prospectors searching the rubble for surviving technology.

Here you'll find a description of the ruined city and its denizens, a bestiary, information on hostile elements, common trade goods, and sample gangs. Character generation includes six cultures, seven new races, and a section for biomodifications, cybernetics, nano-psionics, and dozens of new failings. Spot Rules for barter, firearms, the building of and fighting from cars, and the prospector’s best friend; the common dog. Also includes two full-length adventures.

130 pages. The author is Rich LeDuc, aka rleduc. Published April 2010 by Chaosium. Please rate and review the supplement or view its discussion thread.

A Martial Artist's power comes from life-giving Chi, which suffuses the land of the Dragon Empire. It is your duty to use your martial skills and amazing Chi powers to protect the Forbidden City from the hungry ghosts, hopping vampires and Foreign Devils who murder and steal from the innocent. Use an expanded Martial Arts system that is compatible with any Basic Roleplaying game. Characters may employ real-life styles, like boxing or ninjitsu; mystical styles that stem from magic; or design their own styles with the tools provided. There are dozens of styles to choose from, and over one hundred Chi Powers.

Explore the expansive Dragon Empire, where beauty and culture are marred by corruption and decadence. Due to high concentrations of Chi, magical spirits live alongside mortals. Players can choose to be humans, spirits, or something in between. Reap the rewards of piety: you might become Enlightened, find a position within the Celestial Bureaucracy, or even take a sip from the Elixir of Immortality. Dragon Lines is a game of high flying action. Characters can wade through hordes of Lesser Foes, and then duel with another Martial Arts masters. You can survive dangers which would slay ordinary mortals. Walk on water, run up walls and along rooftops, and harness the very powers of Heaven to shoot lightning from your fingertips!

128 pages. The author is Charles Green. Published March 2010 by Alephtar Games. Please rate and review the supplement or view its discussion thread.

Cubicle 7 Entertainment is producing a roleplaying game based on the award-winning Laundry series (The Atrocity Archives, The Jennifer Morgue, and the forthcoming The Fuller Memorandum) by Charles Stross, using the Basic Roleplaying System. The world of the The Laundry is a perfect mix of espionage, conspiracy and tentacled menace from beyond the stars. The Laundry is a branch of the British secret service, tasked to prevent hideous alien gods from wiping out all life on Earth. Players take the part of Laundry agents, cleaning up the mess after things go wrong or, sometimes, even managing to prevent the manifestation of ultimate evil. Agents have access to the best equipment they can get their superiors to approve, from Basilisk Guns to portable containment grids to a PDA loaded up with Category A countermeasure invocations.

The Laundry RPG is a self-contained rulebook and will be supported by a number of sourcebooks and adventure campaigns. The game is due to be released in July 2010. The authors are Gareth Hanrahan, Jason Durall and John Snead.

The Grimoir is a tome of magic to supplement and expand the various magic systems for Basic Roleplaying. Within the pages of this tome are the formulas for a plethora of new spells to satisfy your most voracious spell-slingers...

The Magic system have new spells to master, a guide to convert spells from other BRP power systems to Magic, and new rules that allow master magicians and archmages to manipulate magic in more potent and diverse ways. The Sorcery system have new spells that highlight the often dark nature of Sorcery, and some ritual spells that can increase the power of any Sorcerer willing to learn them. The old Sorcery system from Basic Magic is also expanded with new spells, as well as new sorcery skills that allow sorcerers even greater ability to fine tune their spells. You'll also find new miracles for Divine Magic, and a plethora of new spells for Spirit Magic.

In addition to an expansion of the old systems Grimoir presents: Ritual Magic - a completely new system for using and casting Ritual Magic that is compatible with all Basic Roleplaying magic systems, and comes stocked with a large selection of rituals to suit any style of campaign, from the dark and gritty to epic high fantasy. To top it off, this tome also provides a cataolog of enchanted objects, from the petty to the most potent of artifacts, using the rules presented in Grimoir and Basic Magic. All are listed with costs of their creation, in case a truly ambitious ritualist wished to build their own.

Grimoir has entered the last phase of playtesting. The author is Matthew Skipper, aka Tywyll.

It is the end of the Fifth Cycliad, the unimaginably far future of planet Earth. A world grown strange with time, where the stars are but a distant memory, and demons, sorcery and ancient technologies hold humankind in thrall. The Venerable Autocracy of Sakara, oldest and greatest of the Springtide Civilizations, is decaying from within. In its vast and crumbling cities strange races eke out lives unchanged for millennia, while ancient enemies gnaw at the edges of the world, ready to wreak a terrible revenge. In these dark days a cry goes out for heroes, to stand against the dying of the light and save the world from the sins of its past. Sorcerer, priest, warrior or prince, everyone knows the end of an age is at hand. Will you answer the call?

The Chronicles of Future Earth is volume one of the new techno-fantasy setting for Chaosium’s Basic Roleplaying. It contains: an introduction to Urth, the world of the unimaginably far future, focussing on the vast and ancient city of Korudav; new races, cultures and occupations; new magic, artifacts, and religions; rules for demons and divine powers; a bestiary of the Urth’s more deadly denizens; and “The Worm Within”, an introductory scenario showcasing this unique and adventure-filled world.

The author is Sarah Newton, aka Shaira. Art by Alberto Bontempi. Approximately 96 pages, expected to be released fall 2010 for regular distribution.

From the creator of Witchcraft, comes Necromancy, a death magic supplement for BRP. This monograph will cover the historical and spiritual Real World Necromancy, the Frankenstein-esque Gothic Necromancy and of course Fantasy Necromancy - the variation best known from numerous fantasy books, movies and RPGs. This supplement will add background, new spells and more undeads! It will also contain a system for Liches for BRP...

The author is Byron Alexander.

The Modern Equipment Catalog Volume 2 is currently under development, and will deliver more tools to get the job done! The content this time stands at: Point and sticky things (knives, bows, crossbows), Less-than-lethal (OC, shock, impact, flash-bang), Explosives (grenades, C4 and the demo rules to use them), Medical (full range of medical gear and rules), Firearms accessories (sights, lights, lasers, suppressors, bolt ons) and more electronic goodies.

Again, the authors will be Domenic de Bechi, aka Cyclic, and Rob Thomas.

Ashes to Ashes is a dark fantasy setting where wizards deliberately broke the world around a century Ago. The remnants of a mighty, high fantasy civilization litter the world, but civilization is no longer great. It's now a world of poverty, low magic and scarce resources, where people struggle to survive. This setting casts the players as mavericks in a fantasy world that is losing a war it does not even know that it is fighting. Hidden demons and their mortal minions—many of whom do not even know who their masters truly are—manipulate events from the shadows, experimenting with social control mechanisms to steer the human cattle in the direction that they want them to go. The adventurers' goal is to discover and stop them.

Ashes to Ashes is a role-playing-heavy, philosophy-heavy, conflict-heavy type of game that would be best enjoyed by serious-minded folk. Ashes to Ashes must, if run correctly, continually force the players to face moral dilemmas. Two introductory scenarios have been included.

By Jeff Moeller, aka neorxnawang. 180 pages. Published June 2008.

Stretching eastward from the windswept coastlines to the Skyshelf Mountains, lie the forest lands of Verduria—more commonly called The Green. Unknown to most of the known world and long thought to be legendary by the rest. Verduria is slowly becoming a fabled destination for those seeking the bounty of its resources, the adventure of its giant beasts and unholy creatures, and the secrets of its ancient magic. It is a land beautiful and harsh, populated with fierce tribesmen and intrepid explorers, forgotten races and creatures of myth.

To enter the Green is to enter a land strange and foreboding. To newcomers it appears to be a landscape made for giants or towering gods, for the trees rise hundreds of feet in the air and spread a lofty maze of branches easily large enough for man to traverse. The dense leafy canopy allows only broken shafts of sunlight into the dim interior. Far below, the land is dark and wet, with mist curling among pillars of giant roots, and creatures moving in the shadows of swamps and vine-choked channels. The rivers that pass through Verduria are the arteries of the land, stretching from their reedy, mangrove-choked deltas to the mountain gorges of their source. This book explores this world, providing details on its inhabitants, magic, and history.

By Scott Heiney, aka Puck. 144 pages. Published December 2009.

The village wise-woman creating herbal mixtures to cure her neighbours of the latest plague to curse their homes, the crone who disguises herself as a beautiful young woman to entice men to their doom, the travelling warlock who trades in potions and talismans which may or may not be truly magical. These are all examples of witches; men and women for whom witchcraft is an art and a profession.

Within BRP Witchcraft you will find new spells common to witches, rules for brewing magic potions and rules for creating talismans — a new kind of one-shot magic item in which the witch invests a portion of their soul for a short time. There are also descriptions of various witches’ organisations, and optional allegiance rules for flavouring magic ‘black’ or ‘white’.

By Byron Alexander. 76 pages. Published December 2009.

Berlin 61 is an espionage horror setting explores the darker side of post war europe, where magic and demons are worshipped by cults and sorcerers, and good men and women draw the line between good and evil. Includes information on life in the city during the cold war, key locations, and special organizations. Battle spies, assassins, cultists and the Dark Herald Kototh. There will be a section for spy games, super hero games and horror games, but the main focus overall will be horror.

By Christopher Barnhart, aka PK Games. 130 pages. Published July 2008.

Classic Fantasy is a return to the dawn of roleplaying, when you would gather with your friends in your parent’s basement, bashing down doors, slaying hordes of orcs and goblins, and throwing yet another +1 sword in your bag of holding. In these early days of roleplaying, what eight giants are doing in a 10’x10’ room was less important than what their treasure rating was, and rescuing the beautiful princess isn’t something you did because it was morally right, but because of the 1000 gold piece reward. And finally, the adventures that didn’t have to be anymore detailed then “some giants are raiding the border settlements let’s kill em”, are the adventures you and your group still talk about to this day. So, rip open the Cheetos and pass out the Mountain Dew. It’s time to play some Classic Fantasy!

By Rodney Leary, aka threedeesix. 196 pages. Published October 2009.

The Modern Equipment Catalog gives you all the best military, police and survival equipment along with all the tools you need to get the job done. If the professionals demand it, you’ll find it here! Inside are nearly a thousand items of equipment, comprising an unparalleled selection of the finest gear available. It contains chapters on tactical gear, survival and outdoors gear, communications, electronics and IT, tools and technical equipment, sea, air and land gear. Alongside detailed descriptions and numerous photographs you’ll also find guidance and Basic Roleplaying rules suggestions for including items in your game.

By Domenic de Bechi, aka Cyclic, and Rob Thomas. 220 pages. Published December 2009.

Veni, Vidi, Vici is a supplement for Rome: Life and Death of the Republic. It contains four scenarios that transport you to the first century B.C., the time of Julius Caesar. Run as a mini campaign, or used as single adventures, these scenarios offer exciting and deadly experiences - including riots, battles and the inevitable skulduggery of Republican Rome!

The Ransom and The Promise feature the plague of piracy in the Mediterranean, with the frequent taking of hostages and the necessity to reassert the supremacy of Rome over the seagoing scum. In The Sacrilege the players will face an obscure intrigue and ethical dilemmas in a mystery adventure. The Invasion takes our adventurers to the most daring of Caesar's military adventures: The invasion of Britain.

By Ken Spencer, aka IndianaKen, Pete Nash and Conall Kavanagh. 36 pages. Published December 2009 by Alephtar Games. Please rate and review the supplement or view its discussion thread.