This week there is a wide range of different systems covered. It's good to see such variety in the marketplace, as one thing I've learned through the years is that gamers are themselves a very diverse crowd. The Spotlight of the Week is also a unique offering, something I have never seen before from a marketing standpoint.Again, we have a good selection of PDFs to check out for any gamer.
The God Machine Chronicle
This White Wolf, World of Darkness book is a series of adventures that addresses one of the mysteries of that setting. It is designed to be an entry point into the World of Darkness setting and provides 20 stories that can be used to craft a series that tells the story you want to tell. At 251 pages there is a lot to work with here. If you are a fan of the World of Darkness you will want this to find out more about the God Machine and maybe to start a new chronicle with it. The book does add some new rules to the system and a separate, and free, PDF is available as a Rules Update.
Shadowrun 5th Edition Preview
One of the more popular rpgs through the years has been Shadowrun. I know I’ve played many campaigns with this system. The current owners of the game are working on the 5th edition of the game and this PDF is a sneak look at the game. It looks like it is mostly fiction and setting tidbits, but fans of the game will want to take a look at this free preview.
Swords of Almuric
Almuric was a science fiction/pulp story written in 1939 by Robert E Howard of Conan fame. It has many of the same tropes as John Carter of Mars, in that an Earth man finds himself on another world fighting for survival. The world features ape men, titanic beasts, alien ruins and secrets to be discovered. Now we have a product that provides this world in rpg terms. It is designed specifically for Barbarians of Lemuria, but many of the information can be used with any system.
Mythic d6
The d6 system is the current iteration of the popular d6 system used in West End Games rpgs, most known in their Star Wars rpg. Back in the day it was a very popular system due to its versatility and speed. Since West End Games went under it languished, but it has since gone to an open system and has gained a new life as quite a few publishers have embraced the rule set. Mythic d6 is made for superhero games, or really any game which features characters with a range of powers. The publisher, Khepera Publishing, has been in the superhero market for some time now, especially with M&M and d20, and of late they have been getting into the d6 system. This PDF provides everything a gamer needs for superheroes by providing powers, gadgets and other character options.
Castles & Crusades Codex Celtarum
Many of the tropes of D&D, and most fantasy rpgs, have been taken from the myths of the Celts. Druids, fey and many of the monsters immediately springs to mind. Castles & Crusades now has a book that looks in detail at the Celts and applies their legacy to their system. This 176 page book provides an overview of the culture and then provides all sorts of new material for the game. Even if you don’t play C&C there might be something here for any fantasy gamer.
RPG Handbook - Getting Started
At first glance this sort of book is a complete waste of time for the readers of this column. After all, we already know how to play rpgs otherwise we wouldn’t be here; getting started is not a new thing for us. However, when recruiting new players a book like this might come in handy. Sometimes explaining what an rpg is to someone who has never heard of the concept before can be daunting. This PDF helps with that. It also has some advice for more established players and could help them play deeper characters and take the reins as a DM. The best part is that this PDF is free and at that price you can’t go wrong. Even if you only learn one new thing from it, it is money well spent.
Ultimate Three Kingdoms Guide
Savage Worlds continues to be a popular system for supplemental and setting books. This one covers the Chinese Three Kingdoms period which is an excellent historical period as it was rife with war and possible adventure. This book offers a slightly different setting from the traditional euro-medieval one so many fantasy games seem to come from. If you are already running a Savage Worlds fantasy game this would make a nice addition as a new land to explore or it can be run as its own campaign.
Contact!
One of the perks of being the author of this column is that I get to highlight games that I like, even if they aren’t mainstream. This reprint from 1994 is a book of 12 new alien races for the Shatterzone game. This system was the sci-fi version of Masterbook and TORG, which I loved and still do to this day. If you are also a fan of the systems this is your chance to get this book and either use it straight up for Shatterzone or as an idea sourcebook for a Masterbook or TORG game.
Modern Monks Virtual Box Set
This game is all about martial arts in a modern day setting as the central theme. It’s not so much a look at martial arts for rpgs but rather a game centered around the arts, without any other fantasy/sci-fi trappings. This new rule set seems to be designed to resemble the 2E D&D rules. This is a “quick start rules” which allows a group to start playing levels 1-5. As they finish up the rules this document will be updated.
Labyrinths of Madness
Labyrinth Lord continues to chug along with new material being produced for it. This PDF adds Lovecraftian horror and rules to the game. This can be used as the basis of a campaign or to add a little horror to your regular Labyrinth Lord fantasy game.
WotC Classic PDFs
X1 The Isle of Dread (Basic)
HHQ3 Thief’s Challenge (2E)
A Guide to the Astral Plane (2E)
Complete Champion (3.5E)
Adventures
Hobb Sized Adventures – Tunnels & Trolls. Variety of short solitaire adventures. Low Level.
Play Ball – Savage Worlds.
As Likely As A Goat Herding Fish – Pathfinder. Level 1.
B13 Frozen Nightmares – Pathfinder/d20. Level 10.
A Giving Time - Pathfinder. Level 1-2.
The Past is Doomed - Call of Cthulhu.
Out of Space - Trail of Cthulhu.
Spotlight: Most Interesting PDF of the Week
Numenera Preorder
I’ll be honest and say I’ve never seen a full pre-order for a PDF in the marketplace before now. Sure, I’ve seen previews, but those are usually free tidbits to entice a person to buy the regular item. No, Numenera is not even done yet and they are now offering to sell you the PDF when it’s finished. To make it even more interesting, the product is not even scheduled to come out for another 4 months. Honestly, no product to date has had the impetus behind it the same as Numenera has right now. Coming off a humongous Kickstarter, where it raised over half a million dollars, it has been the talk of our rpg community since then. Will the price go up above this preorder price on the day of launch (it currently shows a much higher price as the “base price”)? I don’t know but I suspect it just might considering the interest in the product; they can afford to charge a bit more for a while as interest runs high. Either way, this is your chance to get the PDF on its release day if you missed the Kickstarter.
The God Machine Chronicle
This White Wolf, World of Darkness book is a series of adventures that addresses one of the mysteries of that setting. It is designed to be an entry point into the World of Darkness setting and provides 20 stories that can be used to craft a series that tells the story you want to tell. At 251 pages there is a lot to work with here. If you are a fan of the World of Darkness you will want this to find out more about the God Machine and maybe to start a new chronicle with it. The book does add some new rules to the system and a separate, and free, PDF is available as a Rules Update.
Shadowrun 5th Edition Preview
One of the more popular rpgs through the years has been Shadowrun. I know I’ve played many campaigns with this system. The current owners of the game are working on the 5th edition of the game and this PDF is a sneak look at the game. It looks like it is mostly fiction and setting tidbits, but fans of the game will want to take a look at this free preview.
Swords of Almuric
Almuric was a science fiction/pulp story written in 1939 by Robert E Howard of Conan fame. It has many of the same tropes as John Carter of Mars, in that an Earth man finds himself on another world fighting for survival. The world features ape men, titanic beasts, alien ruins and secrets to be discovered. Now we have a product that provides this world in rpg terms. It is designed specifically for Barbarians of Lemuria, but many of the information can be used with any system.
Mythic d6
The d6 system is the current iteration of the popular d6 system used in West End Games rpgs, most known in their Star Wars rpg. Back in the day it was a very popular system due to its versatility and speed. Since West End Games went under it languished, but it has since gone to an open system and has gained a new life as quite a few publishers have embraced the rule set. Mythic d6 is made for superhero games, or really any game which features characters with a range of powers. The publisher, Khepera Publishing, has been in the superhero market for some time now, especially with M&M and d20, and of late they have been getting into the d6 system. This PDF provides everything a gamer needs for superheroes by providing powers, gadgets and other character options.
Castles & Crusades Codex Celtarum
Many of the tropes of D&D, and most fantasy rpgs, have been taken from the myths of the Celts. Druids, fey and many of the monsters immediately springs to mind. Castles & Crusades now has a book that looks in detail at the Celts and applies their legacy to their system. This 176 page book provides an overview of the culture and then provides all sorts of new material for the game. Even if you don’t play C&C there might be something here for any fantasy gamer.
RPG Handbook - Getting Started
At first glance this sort of book is a complete waste of time for the readers of this column. After all, we already know how to play rpgs otherwise we wouldn’t be here; getting started is not a new thing for us. However, when recruiting new players a book like this might come in handy. Sometimes explaining what an rpg is to someone who has never heard of the concept before can be daunting. This PDF helps with that. It also has some advice for more established players and could help them play deeper characters and take the reins as a DM. The best part is that this PDF is free and at that price you can’t go wrong. Even if you only learn one new thing from it, it is money well spent.
Ultimate Three Kingdoms Guide
Savage Worlds continues to be a popular system for supplemental and setting books. This one covers the Chinese Three Kingdoms period which is an excellent historical period as it was rife with war and possible adventure. This book offers a slightly different setting from the traditional euro-medieval one so many fantasy games seem to come from. If you are already running a Savage Worlds fantasy game this would make a nice addition as a new land to explore or it can be run as its own campaign.
Contact!
One of the perks of being the author of this column is that I get to highlight games that I like, even if they aren’t mainstream. This reprint from 1994 is a book of 12 new alien races for the Shatterzone game. This system was the sci-fi version of Masterbook and TORG, which I loved and still do to this day. If you are also a fan of the systems this is your chance to get this book and either use it straight up for Shatterzone or as an idea sourcebook for a Masterbook or TORG game.
Modern Monks Virtual Box Set
This game is all about martial arts in a modern day setting as the central theme. It’s not so much a look at martial arts for rpgs but rather a game centered around the arts, without any other fantasy/sci-fi trappings. This new rule set seems to be designed to resemble the 2E D&D rules. This is a “quick start rules” which allows a group to start playing levels 1-5. As they finish up the rules this document will be updated.
Labyrinths of Madness
Labyrinth Lord continues to chug along with new material being produced for it. This PDF adds Lovecraftian horror and rules to the game. This can be used as the basis of a campaign or to add a little horror to your regular Labyrinth Lord fantasy game.
WotC Classic PDFs
X1 The Isle of Dread (Basic)
HHQ3 Thief’s Challenge (2E)
A Guide to the Astral Plane (2E)
Complete Champion (3.5E)
Adventures
Hobb Sized Adventures – Tunnels & Trolls. Variety of short solitaire adventures. Low Level.
Play Ball – Savage Worlds.
As Likely As A Goat Herding Fish – Pathfinder. Level 1.
B13 Frozen Nightmares – Pathfinder/d20. Level 10.
A Giving Time - Pathfinder. Level 1-2.
The Past is Doomed - Call of Cthulhu.
Out of Space - Trail of Cthulhu.
Spotlight: Most Interesting PDF of the Week
Numenera Preorder
I’ll be honest and say I’ve never seen a full pre-order for a PDF in the marketplace before now. Sure, I’ve seen previews, but those are usually free tidbits to entice a person to buy the regular item. No, Numenera is not even done yet and they are now offering to sell you the PDF when it’s finished. To make it even more interesting, the product is not even scheduled to come out for another 4 months. Honestly, no product to date has had the impetus behind it the same as Numenera has right now. Coming off a humongous Kickstarter, where it raised over half a million dollars, it has been the talk of our rpg community since then. Will the price go up above this preorder price on the day of launch (it currently shows a much higher price as the “base price”)? I don’t know but I suspect it just might considering the interest in the product; they can afford to charge a bit more for a while as interest runs high. Either way, this is your chance to get the PDF on its release day if you missed the Kickstarter.
It's a far future, science fantasy, post-apocalyptic game with streamlined rules that prioritize the story, the action, and the wild ideas. If you're a fan of outside-of-the-box gameplay such as that found in Planescape, Dark Space, or Chaositech, the far-future stories of Gene Wolfe, Michael Moorcock, or Jack Vance, or mind-blowing visuals like those found in the work of French artist Moebius, you're going to love Numenera.
The game system that drives Numenera is meant to be fast-moving and simple, so that it facilitates the stories the group wants to create, the imaginative places and creatures the GM needs to describe, and the mind-blowing ideas the world encourages. Everything in the game is designed with these goals in mind.
