If there is one thing bad about PDFs, it is that there can be so many good ones coming out, all clamoring for my money. This is one of those weeks. Also this week we get a good look at how much the PDF marketplace can change, both in how it sells PDFs and in how it integrates technology. We are living in the days of change and the landscape of rpgs, and the mediums it uses, is in transition. Which leads us to our first PDF this week...
Agents of Change
I have always been a fan of the time travel concept, but it is a hard thing to implement. However, I am really intrigued by this rpg that is based around the idea of time travel. In this game time travel is done by transferring consciousness from the now to the past, essentially taking over a body in the past. This rpg has a new game system which includes a setting wherein two organizations set out to control history. One does so to create a world that is safe and orderly and the other works toward keeping the world safe but allowing for personal freedoms. I think this game has a lot of potential both for role-playing (you are in someone’s body living their life – you’ll have to roleplay with everyone that person knows) and problem solving (how do you use “future” knowledge without the tools of the future – you can’t bring anything with you to the past) and history (I love history - there is really no time in history you could not go to). This looks like a lot of fun.
Pathways #26
Pathfinder is the dominant rpg system currently with WotC and 5E in playtest mode. This is a monthly e‘zine that gives more options for the Pathfinder game. This one has 41 pages and is free, so if you are a fan of Pathfinder this is for you.
Judge Dredd: Apocalypse Dawn
When Mongoose Publishing gained the rights to the Traveller system they began to convert over many of their science-fiction licenses from d20 to the Traveller. Judge Dredd was one of those games. Since then they have produced quite a few supplements for the setting and this is the latest. This is a campaign of adventures with some more setting information. It is 99 pages long and should be able to keep a game going for some time. If you like the Traveller system or Judge Dredd this could be of interest.
Ravaged Earth: Revised Second Edition
This is a setting and complete adventure series for Savage Worlds. The setting is one featuring the tropes of pulp action. In 1898 the Martians attacked Earth and were driven back, but in their wake the world was changed forever. Now the characters have access to some greater powers, but those that still fall within the pulp genre. The book gives advice and rules for playing in a pulp setting and also includes a complete Plot Point campaign. This is their revised edition of their original book wherein they tighten up their rules making for a better game.
Gaming in the ‘Verse: A Firefly RPG Preview Pre-Order
This is an interesting PDF offer that I haven’t seen as of yet within the marketplace. In fact, let’s first talk about what it is you actually get before we start talking about the rules/setting. This is a pre-order for a preview item. Not sure what that means? It means that at Gen Con this year the publisher is releasing a preview of the game which is not the actual final release of the game. You will still be able to play the adventures included with this preview and the game itself, but it is not the full rules of the game. The final release of the game will be a few months later and you will have to buy that version separately. However, if you buy this pre-order preview, you will receive a discount off the full version. Got all that?
As for the game itself it plays off the huge license of the Firefly TV show. This setting has long been a popular one among gamers and many have been clamoring for its return as an rpg. Margaret Weis Productions is doing the design work and it is based upon their Cortex Plus system of rules. Will this Preview Pre-Order fly or will people opt to wait for the final release? Firefly might just be enough to get people to opt in early. We’ll see.
Character Workbook
This is not a character sheet; all it does is help a person create a Pathfinder character. Normally I wouldn’t bother covering this type of product, but these are pretty cool. They are designed to not only help create a new character, going over various options such as race, specialties and other class features, but they are also designed to be used as a character levels up. This is a way to keep track of a character as they develop. However, the best part is that the document includes hyperlinks to the Pathfinder System Reference Document at d20pfsrd.com. This allows for a quick look-up for whatever the player is interested in without fumbling through a variety of books looking for that tidbit of information. This is modern-day technology at its best for character generation. Thus far, there are four Workbooks of one each for the four main classes, Wizard, Cleric, Rogue and Fighter. Maybe if this is popular enough there will be more for the other classes.
Murder on the Hellstromme Express for Fantasy Grounds
I know I’m coming in late to this but there is another example of merging technology with rpgs. There have been a number of written adventures designed specifically for online play through the virtual tabletop of Fantasy Grounds. Online play has been growing for time now especially with Google+ making it even easier. Fantasy Grounds is a virtual tabletop that allows for maps and die rolls while still allowing for what makes rpgs special: the human interaction. It is nice to see companies converting or writing adventures for this medium. SmiteWorks has been doing this for some time. This offering is a Savage Worlds/Deadlands adventure. However, they do have some other adventures such the Castles & Crusades adventure, Forsaken Mountain that also came out this week.
WotC Classic PDFs
I3 Pharoah (1E)
A Guide to the Ethereal Plane (2E)
FOR4 The Code of the Harpers (2E)
PHBR7 The Complete Bard’s Handbook (2E)
Adventures
Dungeon of the Unknown – Lamentations of the Flame Princess. Levels 1-10.
The Doom of Red Rauthim – OSRIC. Levels 7-9.
SlaughterGrid – 1E.
GKG Adventure Pack – Traveller. Bundle of 4 adventures.
Cold Mountain – d20. Level 4.
Web of the Spider Baron – Pathfinder. Level 1.
Spotlight: Most Interesting PDF of the Week
Better Angels
I simply love the concept behind this rpg/setting with a twist. At its core it is a superhero game with the players playing supervillains instead of heroes…only the twist is that they are in fact being heroic with their villainy (but wait, while I like this concept, this is not the twist I love). In this setting angels and demons have come to Earth and given people superpowers. Those with the angels are the heroes, but the player characters are those with the powers from demons. The premise is that the player characters are in fact “good guys” in that they “contain” and fool the demons by perpetrating villainous deeds such as robbing banks and trying to take over the world…only setting themselves up to fail. The reason they do this is because if someone willing to give into the demons was to be possessed then they could create true harm for the world. In effect, they are saving the world with their villainy. Now to the twist I love. Each player plays two characters, the supervillain trying to stop themselves from harming the world…and the demon within the player character sitting next to you. You play this demon as a true evil, supplanting the efforts of the “good” human carrying the demon. I think it adds a wonderful dynamic to the game.
The game is designed by the veteran rpg designer Greg Stolze of Reign fame. The game uses the same system as Reign, Godlike, and Wild Talents. This is the result of a very successful Kickstarter from last August where it made over $21,000 from a $5,000 goal. I know I’ll be checking out this game.
Agents of Change
I have always been a fan of the time travel concept, but it is a hard thing to implement. However, I am really intrigued by this rpg that is based around the idea of time travel. In this game time travel is done by transferring consciousness from the now to the past, essentially taking over a body in the past. This rpg has a new game system which includes a setting wherein two organizations set out to control history. One does so to create a world that is safe and orderly and the other works toward keeping the world safe but allowing for personal freedoms. I think this game has a lot of potential both for role-playing (you are in someone’s body living their life – you’ll have to roleplay with everyone that person knows) and problem solving (how do you use “future” knowledge without the tools of the future – you can’t bring anything with you to the past) and history (I love history - there is really no time in history you could not go to). This looks like a lot of fun.
Pathways #26
Pathfinder is the dominant rpg system currently with WotC and 5E in playtest mode. This is a monthly e‘zine that gives more options for the Pathfinder game. This one has 41 pages and is free, so if you are a fan of Pathfinder this is for you.
Judge Dredd: Apocalypse Dawn
When Mongoose Publishing gained the rights to the Traveller system they began to convert over many of their science-fiction licenses from d20 to the Traveller. Judge Dredd was one of those games. Since then they have produced quite a few supplements for the setting and this is the latest. This is a campaign of adventures with some more setting information. It is 99 pages long and should be able to keep a game going for some time. If you like the Traveller system or Judge Dredd this could be of interest.
Ravaged Earth: Revised Second Edition
This is a setting and complete adventure series for Savage Worlds. The setting is one featuring the tropes of pulp action. In 1898 the Martians attacked Earth and were driven back, but in their wake the world was changed forever. Now the characters have access to some greater powers, but those that still fall within the pulp genre. The book gives advice and rules for playing in a pulp setting and also includes a complete Plot Point campaign. This is their revised edition of their original book wherein they tighten up their rules making for a better game.
Gaming in the ‘Verse: A Firefly RPG Preview Pre-Order
This is an interesting PDF offer that I haven’t seen as of yet within the marketplace. In fact, let’s first talk about what it is you actually get before we start talking about the rules/setting. This is a pre-order for a preview item. Not sure what that means? It means that at Gen Con this year the publisher is releasing a preview of the game which is not the actual final release of the game. You will still be able to play the adventures included with this preview and the game itself, but it is not the full rules of the game. The final release of the game will be a few months later and you will have to buy that version separately. However, if you buy this pre-order preview, you will receive a discount off the full version. Got all that?
As for the game itself it plays off the huge license of the Firefly TV show. This setting has long been a popular one among gamers and many have been clamoring for its return as an rpg. Margaret Weis Productions is doing the design work and it is based upon their Cortex Plus system of rules. Will this Preview Pre-Order fly or will people opt to wait for the final release? Firefly might just be enough to get people to opt in early. We’ll see.
Character Workbook
This is not a character sheet; all it does is help a person create a Pathfinder character. Normally I wouldn’t bother covering this type of product, but these are pretty cool. They are designed to not only help create a new character, going over various options such as race, specialties and other class features, but they are also designed to be used as a character levels up. This is a way to keep track of a character as they develop. However, the best part is that the document includes hyperlinks to the Pathfinder System Reference Document at d20pfsrd.com. This allows for a quick look-up for whatever the player is interested in without fumbling through a variety of books looking for that tidbit of information. This is modern-day technology at its best for character generation. Thus far, there are four Workbooks of one each for the four main classes, Wizard, Cleric, Rogue and Fighter. Maybe if this is popular enough there will be more for the other classes.
Murder on the Hellstromme Express for Fantasy Grounds
I know I’m coming in late to this but there is another example of merging technology with rpgs. There have been a number of written adventures designed specifically for online play through the virtual tabletop of Fantasy Grounds. Online play has been growing for time now especially with Google+ making it even easier. Fantasy Grounds is a virtual tabletop that allows for maps and die rolls while still allowing for what makes rpgs special: the human interaction. It is nice to see companies converting or writing adventures for this medium. SmiteWorks has been doing this for some time. This offering is a Savage Worlds/Deadlands adventure. However, they do have some other adventures such the Castles & Crusades adventure, Forsaken Mountain that also came out this week.
WotC Classic PDFs
I3 Pharoah (1E)
A Guide to the Ethereal Plane (2E)
FOR4 The Code of the Harpers (2E)
PHBR7 The Complete Bard’s Handbook (2E)
Adventures
Dungeon of the Unknown – Lamentations of the Flame Princess. Levels 1-10.
The Doom of Red Rauthim – OSRIC. Levels 7-9.
SlaughterGrid – 1E.
GKG Adventure Pack – Traveller. Bundle of 4 adventures.
Cold Mountain – d20. Level 4.
Web of the Spider Baron – Pathfinder. Level 1.
Spotlight: Most Interesting PDF of the Week
Better Angels
I simply love the concept behind this rpg/setting with a twist. At its core it is a superhero game with the players playing supervillains instead of heroes…only the twist is that they are in fact being heroic with their villainy (but wait, while I like this concept, this is not the twist I love). In this setting angels and demons have come to Earth and given people superpowers. Those with the angels are the heroes, but the player characters are those with the powers from demons. The premise is that the player characters are in fact “good guys” in that they “contain” and fool the demons by perpetrating villainous deeds such as robbing banks and trying to take over the world…only setting themselves up to fail. The reason they do this is because if someone willing to give into the demons was to be possessed then they could create true harm for the world. In effect, they are saving the world with their villainy. Now to the twist I love. Each player plays two characters, the supervillain trying to stop themselves from harming the world…and the demon within the player character sitting next to you. You play this demon as a true evil, supplanting the efforts of the “good” human carrying the demon. I think it adds a wonderful dynamic to the game.
The game is designed by the veteran rpg designer Greg Stolze of Reign fame. The game uses the same system as Reign, Godlike, and Wild Talents. This is the result of a very successful Kickstarter from last August where it made over $21,000 from a $5,000 goal. I know I’ll be checking out this game.
A demon gave you superpowers and it demands EEEEVIL!
In Better Angels, you play a supervillain trying to control the demon that gives you amazing powers—and you play the demon for the player next to you, pushing that player’s supervillain to greater and greater acts of supervillainy.
Do too much evil and the demon might take control. Too little, and—well, it’s a demon. It will find ways to punish you.
Better Angels focuses directly on characters’ moral stances. Is your villain Insightful or Devious? Cunning or Patient? Is your Courage as great as your Cruelty? Those characteristics drive your superpowers. They shape your relationship with your demon. And they are shaped by it in every scene.
Prepare yourself. There are diabolical inventions to create. Enemies and rivals to thwart.
AN ENTIRE WORLD TO CONQUER!
All it will cost is your soul.
