Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
GODSEND Agenda: An Interview With Jerry D. Grayson (Khepera Publishing)
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Egg Embry" data-source="post: 8505195" data-attributes="member: 6808965"><p><strong>Khepera Publishing</strong> is creating a <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/khp/godsend-agenda" target="_blank">new </a><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/khp/godsend-agenda" target="_blank"><strong>GODSEND RPG</strong></a>. I caught up with Jerry D. Grayson to learn more about the latest take on his superhuman roleplaying game. I’ve <a href="http://www.d20radio.com/main/terra-oblivion-kickstarter-an-interview-with-jerry-d-grayson-khepera-publishing/" target="_blank">interviewed Jerry</a> about another <strong>Kickstarter</strong> he created as well as reviewed his work from <a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/your-guide-to-free-rpg-day-2019-quick-reviews.666597/" target="_blank"><strong>Free RPG Day 2019</strong></a> and his <a href="http://www.d20radio.com/main/rpg-view-copy-mythic-d6-bastion/" target="_blank"><strong><em>MythicD6</em></strong></a><a href="http://www.d20radio.com/main/rpg-view-copy-mythic-d6-bastion/" target="_blank"> setting, </a><a href="http://www.d20radio.com/main/rpg-view-copy-mythic-d6-bastion/" target="_blank"><strong><em>Bastion</em></strong></a>. It’s nice to learn what drives him to create a superhero RPG that is closer in tone to <strong><em>The Authority</em></strong> than most RPGs on the market.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center">[ATTACH=full]149546[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p><strong>EGG EMBRY (EGG): Thank you for talking to me about </strong><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/khp/godsend-agenda" target="_blank"><strong><em>GODSEND Agenda</em></strong></a><strong>. </strong><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/128/Khepera-Publishing/subcategory/373_5945/GODSEND-Agenda?affiliate_id=814082" target="_blank"><strong><em>GODSEND</em></strong></a><strong> is one of </strong><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/128/Khepera-Publishing?affiliate_id=814082" target="_blank"><strong>Khepera Publishing’</strong></a><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/128/Khepera-Publishing?affiliate_id=814082" target="_blank"><strong>s</strong></a><strong> most supported titles in terms of the number of books you’ve created. What are you kickstarting for GODSEND now?</strong></p><p><strong>JERRY D. GRAYSON (JERRY)</strong>: This is a brand new edition that allows me to use all the things I've learned in the last twenty years. It's a fully realized expression of what I wanted <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/khp/godsend-agenda" target="_blank"><strong><em>GODSEND Agenda</em></strong></a> to be from the start; a way to enact change in the world. The <strong><em>GODSEND Agenda</em></strong> is a series of precepts used by aliens in the game to social engineer a world. When those aliens find themselves stranded here six thousand years ago, they use the agenda to set themselves up as gods and go about manipulating the world. This was in the background in previous editions, but now it is pushed to the front. Be the change you want and change the world for the better.</p><p></p><p><strong>EGG: That’s a cool concept. To that end, you play as a near-god superhero, correct? Can you give an example of how each aspect influences the game?</strong></p><p><strong>JERRY</strong>: You play a superhuman. Sometimes alien, sometimes a post-human. It's a nuanced difference, but the game isn't necessarily about being a "superhero" in the way superheroes have been packaged. The game is superheroic.<strong><em> GODSEND Agenda</em></strong> is about having godlike powers and what you do with them to change the world- for better or worse. No one in <strong><em>GODSEND Agenda</em></strong> is interested in stopping bank robberies. Heroes in <strong><em>GODSEND Agenda</em></strong> are concerned with making a substantive change in the world and not protecting the status quo. Why defend and protect a broken system when you have the power to change the world the way you see fit? What do you do when you have the power of a god? Do you change the world for the better or just watch the world burn?</p><p style="text-align: center">[ATTACH=full]149548[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p><strong>EGG: When does GODSEND take place?</strong></p><p><strong>JERRY</strong>: You can play the game in what we called Epochs. The default Epoch begins in 2010 in a world much like our own time but changed in different ways because of the superhumans and their advanced technology. For instance, people played online games in the 1980s and used their smartphones in 1990. Select an Epoch and start play. Different Epochs include the Age of Heroes 1452 BC, the Phantom Time of 666 AD, etc. In playtest so far, we've done 2010, 1452 BC, and even a 1600s pre-colonial America.</p><p></p><p><strong>EGG: Who is working on this project with you?</strong></p><p><strong>JERRY</strong>: I have a lot of incredibly talented people working with me. Most have worked with me before on <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/128/Khepera-Publishing/subcategory/373_5946/HELLAS?affiliate_id=814082" target="_blank"><strong><em>HELLAS</em></strong></a> and <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/128/Khepera-Publishing/subcategory/373_4160/Atlantis-The-Second-Age?affiliate_id=814082" target="_blank"><strong><em>ATLANTIS</em></strong></a>. Kieran Turley, Dough Bramlett, Jaym Gates, Elizabeth Chap, Greg Stolze, Lenny Balsera, and Rose Baily have all made contributions to the game.</p><p></p><p><strong>EGG: You’ve done this RPG for d20 and d6. What engine will this version use? Can you talk about its system?</strong></p><p><strong>JERRY</strong>: The <strong><em>Omega System</em></strong> using 2D10. Maybe in a few years, I will figure out how to use a D8 or a D12 with the game. (but I kid…or do I?). The system owes a lot to what you may have seen previously in games like <strong><em>HELLAS</em></strong> or <strong><em>ATLANTIS the Second Age</em></strong>, but is heavily influenced by <strong>Mayfair's <em>DC Heroes</em></strong>- the best superhero game ever made! The system for <strong><em>GODSEND Agenda</em></strong> is extensive, not in terms of page count, but in what it sets out to do. Most superheroic games set out to find that imaginary "sweet spot" between Teen <strong><em>Titans/X-men</em></strong> up to <strong><em>Justice League/Avengers</em></strong>. This game turns it up to 11 and breaks the knob off. I'm aiming at <strong><em>Authority/Planetary</em></strong> level. I'm hoping someone will gut punch reality in their game.</p><p></p><p><strong>EGG: The celebrity component of this RPG helps it to stand out from other superhero RPGs. Mechanically, how does the celebrity work?</strong></p><p><strong>JERRY</strong>: Renown is what every hero in the game has. You get Renown by doing extraordinary things. The more Renown, the more awesome your hero becomes. It's kinda like Hero worship in the game. The more "worship" is directed at you, the more energy – called Ka – you can channel. The more Ka you channel, the more remarkable things you can do. The more awesome things you do, the more Renown you get. Rinse and repeat.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center">[ATTACH=full]149547[/ATTACH]</p><p><strong>EGG: You did a </strong><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/305357/GODSEND-Agenda-3-Beta-Test" target="_blank"><strong><em>GODSEND Agenda 3 Beta Test</em></strong></a><strong> in 2020 and 2021. How has the feedback on that helped with this product?</strong></p><p><strong>JERRY</strong>: It's helped a lot. The <strong><em>Beta</em></strong> doesn't look like what we settled on. So many changes were made to focus the game and make it what I wanted. When I first published the game back in 2002, I didn't have the tools or knowledge to make what was in my head. I've evolved as a player and a design, and so have my games. This game reflects me today, and it's a lot different from what it was almost 20 years ago, and so am I.</p><p></p><p><strong>EGG: With this Kickstarter, what can fans expect in terms of backer rewards?</strong></p><p><strong>JERRY</strong>: KISS, and I'm not talking about Paul, Ace, Chris, and Gene. No big over-the-top rewards. Just the book and the <strong><em>Apocrypha PDF</em></strong>. No crazy stretch goals or flamboyant over-the-top reward. I want the backers to help fund a book, not a circus tent full of useless tchotchkes—no bath balms with a <strong><em>GODSEND Agenda</em></strong> logo, no tea cozies, or gimmick dice. Just meat and potatoes… literal meat and potatoes with the <strong><em>GODSEND Agenda</em></strong> logo. That is a mechanic in the game.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center">[ATTACH=full]149549[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p><strong>EGG: I like clean, well thought out campaigns. Beyond <em>GODSEND Agenda</em>, what else are you working on?</strong></p><p><strong>JERRY</strong>: <strong><em>ATLANTIS: the First Age</em></strong>. A superhero sword and sorcery game. A revised version of <strong><em>HELLAS</em></strong> and <strong><em>ATLANTIS the Second Age</em></strong>. A space opera called <strong><em>Orphan Star</em></strong> (my love letter to <strong><em>Alien Legion</em></strong>), and a few other things that are just developing ideas swimming around in that gray cyst I call a brain.</p><p></p><p><strong>EGG: Thank you for talking with me. Where can fans follow you online?</strong></p><p><strong>JERRY</strong>: NO! Thank you for taking the time to shine a light on my funny ideas. I appreciate it. Thank you.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/khp/godsend-agenda" target="_blank"><strong>GODSEND Agenda</strong></a><strong> from </strong><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/128/Khepera-Publishing?affiliate_id=814082" target="_blank"><strong>Khepera Publishing</strong></a></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">“<em>Godsend Agenda</em>, a super heroic role-playing game of post-modern myth.”</li> </ul><p><em>Egg Embry participates in the OneBookShelf Affiliate Program, Noble Knight Games’ Affiliate Program, and is an Amazon Associate. These programs provide advertising fees by linking to DriveThruRPG, Noble Knight Games, and Amazon.</em></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Egg Embry, post: 8505195, member: 6808965"] [B]Khepera Publishing[/B] is creating a [URL='https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/khp/godsend-agenda']new [/URL][URL='https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/khp/godsend-agenda'][B]GODSEND RPG[/B][/URL]. I caught up with Jerry D. Grayson to learn more about the latest take on his superhuman roleplaying game. I’ve [URL='http://www.d20radio.com/main/terra-oblivion-kickstarter-an-interview-with-jerry-d-grayson-khepera-publishing/']interviewed Jerry[/URL] about another [B]Kickstarter[/B] he created as well as reviewed his work from [URL='https://www.enworld.org/threads/your-guide-to-free-rpg-day-2019-quick-reviews.666597/'][B]Free RPG Day 2019[/B][/URL] and his [URL='http://www.d20radio.com/main/rpg-view-copy-mythic-d6-bastion/'][B][I]MythicD6[/I][/B][/URL][URL='http://www.d20radio.com/main/rpg-view-copy-mythic-d6-bastion/'] setting, [/URL][URL='http://www.d20radio.com/main/rpg-view-copy-mythic-d6-bastion/'][B][I]Bastion[/I][/B][/URL]. It’s nice to learn what drives him to create a superhero RPG that is closer in tone to [B][I]The Authority[/I][/B] than most RPGs on the market. [CENTER][ATTACH type="full"]149546[/ATTACH][/CENTER] [B]EGG EMBRY (EGG): Thank you for talking to me about [/B][URL='https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/khp/godsend-agenda'][B][I]GODSEND Agenda[/I][/B][/URL][B]. [/B][URL='https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/128/Khepera-Publishing/subcategory/373_5945/GODSEND-Agenda?affiliate_id=814082'][B][I]GODSEND[/I][/B][/URL][B] is one of [/B][URL='https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/128/Khepera-Publishing?affiliate_id=814082'][B]Khepera Publishing’[/B][/URL][URL='https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/128/Khepera-Publishing?affiliate_id=814082'][B]s[/B][/URL][B] most supported titles in terms of the number of books you’ve created. What are you kickstarting for GODSEND now? JERRY D. GRAYSON (JERRY)[/B]: This is a brand new edition that allows me to use all the things I've learned in the last twenty years. It's a fully realized expression of what I wanted [URL='https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/khp/godsend-agenda'][B][I]GODSEND Agenda[/I][/B][/URL] to be from the start; a way to enact change in the world. The [B][I]GODSEND Agenda[/I][/B] is a series of precepts used by aliens in the game to social engineer a world. When those aliens find themselves stranded here six thousand years ago, they use the agenda to set themselves up as gods and go about manipulating the world. This was in the background in previous editions, but now it is pushed to the front. Be the change you want and change the world for the better. [B]EGG: That’s a cool concept. To that end, you play as a near-god superhero, correct? Can you give an example of how each aspect influences the game? JERRY[/B]: You play a superhuman. Sometimes alien, sometimes a post-human. It's a nuanced difference, but the game isn't necessarily about being a "superhero" in the way superheroes have been packaged. The game is superheroic.[B][I] GODSEND Agenda[/I][/B] is about having godlike powers and what you do with them to change the world- for better or worse. No one in [B][I]GODSEND Agenda[/I][/B] is interested in stopping bank robberies. Heroes in [B][I]GODSEND Agenda[/I][/B] are concerned with making a substantive change in the world and not protecting the status quo. Why defend and protect a broken system when you have the power to change the world the way you see fit? What do you do when you have the power of a god? Do you change the world for the better or just watch the world burn? [CENTER][ATTACH type="full"]149548[/ATTACH][/CENTER] [B]EGG: When does GODSEND take place? JERRY[/B]: You can play the game in what we called Epochs. The default Epoch begins in 2010 in a world much like our own time but changed in different ways because of the superhumans and their advanced technology. For instance, people played online games in the 1980s and used their smartphones in 1990. Select an Epoch and start play. Different Epochs include the Age of Heroes 1452 BC, the Phantom Time of 666 AD, etc. In playtest so far, we've done 2010, 1452 BC, and even a 1600s pre-colonial America. [B]EGG: Who is working on this project with you? JERRY[/B]: I have a lot of incredibly talented people working with me. Most have worked with me before on [URL='https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/128/Khepera-Publishing/subcategory/373_5946/HELLAS?affiliate_id=814082'][B][I]HELLAS[/I][/B][/URL] and [URL='https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/128/Khepera-Publishing/subcategory/373_4160/Atlantis-The-Second-Age?affiliate_id=814082'][B][I]ATLANTIS[/I][/B][/URL]. Kieran Turley, Dough Bramlett, Jaym Gates, Elizabeth Chap, Greg Stolze, Lenny Balsera, and Rose Baily have all made contributions to the game. [B]EGG: You’ve done this RPG for d20 and d6. What engine will this version use? Can you talk about its system? JERRY[/B]: The [B][I]Omega System[/I][/B] using 2D10. Maybe in a few years, I will figure out how to use a D8 or a D12 with the game. (but I kid…or do I?). The system owes a lot to what you may have seen previously in games like [B][I]HELLAS[/I][/B] or [B][I]ATLANTIS the Second Age[/I][/B], but is heavily influenced by [B]Mayfair's [I]DC Heroes[/I][/B]- the best superhero game ever made! The system for [B][I]GODSEND Agenda[/I][/B] is extensive, not in terms of page count, but in what it sets out to do. Most superheroic games set out to find that imaginary "sweet spot" between Teen [B][I]Titans/X-men[/I][/B] up to [B][I]Justice League/Avengers[/I][/B]. This game turns it up to 11 and breaks the knob off. I'm aiming at [B][I]Authority/Planetary[/I][/B] level. I'm hoping someone will gut punch reality in their game. [B]EGG: The celebrity component of this RPG helps it to stand out from other superhero RPGs. Mechanically, how does the celebrity work? JERRY[/B]: Renown is what every hero in the game has. You get Renown by doing extraordinary things. The more Renown, the more awesome your hero becomes. It's kinda like Hero worship in the game. The more "worship" is directed at you, the more energy – called Ka – you can channel. The more Ka you channel, the more remarkable things you can do. The more awesome things you do, the more Renown you get. Rinse and repeat. [CENTER][ATTACH type="full"]149547[/ATTACH][/CENTER] [B]EGG: You did a [/B][URL='https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/305357/GODSEND-Agenda-3-Beta-Test'][B][I]GODSEND Agenda 3 Beta Test[/I][/B][/URL][B] in 2020 and 2021. How has the feedback on that helped with this product? JERRY[/B]: It's helped a lot. The [B][I]Beta[/I][/B] doesn't look like what we settled on. So many changes were made to focus the game and make it what I wanted. When I first published the game back in 2002, I didn't have the tools or knowledge to make what was in my head. I've evolved as a player and a design, and so have my games. This game reflects me today, and it's a lot different from what it was almost 20 years ago, and so am I. [B]EGG: With this Kickstarter, what can fans expect in terms of backer rewards? JERRY[/B]: KISS, and I'm not talking about Paul, Ace, Chris, and Gene. No big over-the-top rewards. Just the book and the [B][I]Apocrypha PDF[/I][/B]. No crazy stretch goals or flamboyant over-the-top reward. I want the backers to help fund a book, not a circus tent full of useless tchotchkes—no bath balms with a [B][I]GODSEND Agenda[/I][/B] logo, no tea cozies, or gimmick dice. Just meat and potatoes… literal meat and potatoes with the [B][I]GODSEND Agenda[/I][/B] logo. That is a mechanic in the game. [CENTER][ATTACH type="full"]149549[/ATTACH][/CENTER] [B]EGG: I like clean, well thought out campaigns. Beyond [I]GODSEND Agenda[/I], what else are you working on? JERRY[/B]: [B][I]ATLANTIS: the First Age[/I][/B]. A superhero sword and sorcery game. A revised version of [B][I]HELLAS[/I][/B] and [B][I]ATLANTIS the Second Age[/I][/B]. A space opera called [B][I]Orphan Star[/I][/B] (my love letter to [B][I]Alien Legion[/I][/B]), and a few other things that are just developing ideas swimming around in that gray cyst I call a brain. [B]EGG: Thank you for talking with me. Where can fans follow you online? JERRY[/B]: NO! Thank you for taking the time to shine a light on my funny ideas. I appreciate it. Thank you. [URL='https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/khp/godsend-agenda'][B]GODSEND Agenda[/B][/URL][B] from [/B][URL='https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/128/Khepera-Publishing?affiliate_id=814082'][B]Khepera Publishing[/B][/URL] [LIST] [*]“[I]Godsend Agenda[/I], a super heroic role-playing game of post-modern myth.” [/LIST] [I]Egg Embry participates in the OneBookShelf Affiliate Program, Noble Knight Games’ Affiliate Program, and is an Amazon Associate. These programs provide advertising fees by linking to DriveThruRPG, Noble Knight Games, and Amazon.[/I] [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
GODSEND Agenda: An Interview With Jerry D. Grayson (Khepera Publishing)
Top