Shield Maidens RPG First Look

[Wolfram stout]

No, I could hire an artist and put that page together in 10 mins, doesn't actually tell me anything.

Look at this as an example:

Mongoose Publishing

www.mongoosepublishing.com

there is no indication at all of what is inside that book, your forums have barely anything.

feels like a scam, prove me wrong.

Well, you link to their website, which has their full range of products, their release schedule, downloads, and a fairly active forum of VERY happy players.

I can tell you from personal experience that their products have amazing production values. Mongoose is not a company I would ever second guess on their ability to produce what they have lined up.

 

[Waller]

idk vibes its a new forum account just pushing sales, but sales of what I can't even tell.

Matt Sprange, CEO of Mongoose Publishing, has been here since 2002. Mongoose is a well-known TTRPG company which has been publishing for over 20 years, and is the publisher of games like Traveller. Hope that helps!

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Also, Mongoose publishing is a well-established brand in the TTRPG market, having published games such as Paranoia, as well as versions of Traveller and Runequest. They are hardly a fly-by-night operation.

Yeah I honestly didn't even consider that this isn't a known factor, but seeing it spelled out I realise that the person we are all reacting to probably didn't know this.

 

[CleverNickName]

@darkwillow I've ordered several products from Mongoose, and I've never been dissatisfied. (I especially like Traveller and Paranoia, which you should definitely check out if you've never played them before.) In my opinion, they are a good indie company that delivers quality products. You should walk your comment back.

As for Shield Maidens? It's a cyberpunk Viking sci-fi RPG. Sign me up!

(append my usual rant about Kickstarter)

 

[DarkCrisis]

Cyberpunk Valkyries is right up my alley!

 

[MongooseKat]

First Look at the Shield Maidens Rules​

We’ve given information on the Shield Maidens, Freya, and will be unveiling the nine realms, gods, and the other species to be encountered. So, it’s now time to begin revealing the rules system Shield Maidens uses.

To undertake a Standard Action, players roll 2D6, then add their appropriate Branch skill and sub-skill; it’s a roll-over mechanic. The difficulties for actions range from Mundane (convincing someone who is already in love with you to do something) to Legendary (getting an army of cyclopean flesh-eating monsters to hold off on fresh meat for a while), and you use various skills to perform actions. However, if an action seems too difficult, you may use your Guardian Shield to help you.

Dagrun attempts to hack into one of the computers at a Fenrir re-education facility to find documents about a recently processed ‘student’. To do so, she uses her Understanding Branch Skill and Engineering sub-skill, which total 6. Added to a 2D6 roll of 9, her total is 15, which beats the Challenging (11+) Difficulty set by the GM. Her fingers fly across the keypad as she searches for the report, revealing the atrocities performed in these institutions.

When using your Guardian Shield, you roll 1D6 and 1D8 together. This gives you a greater chance of scoring high, but a roll of 8 on the D8 will cause a Flare! This demonstrates the unwieldy power you have as a daughter of Freya, and the fact that things will not always work as planned. The Flare system adds an element of randomness, causing avalanches, beams of light, plant growth and shattering buildings asunder.

Attempting to sneak into Asgard cannot be that difficult, thinks Signy, as she reaches to pull herself up onto a balcony. She slips, and decides to use her Guardian Shield to assist her, trying to embed it into the wall to create a makeshift step. Rolling 1D6 and 1D8 for a total of 11, and adding her Might Branch Skill and Athletics sub-skill leaves her with a total of 19, flying past the Arduous (13+) Difficulty that was set!

However, she rolled an 8 on her Shield Dice…

As Signy swings her shield, she misjudges her strength. Metal is rent asunder as a beacon of light erupts, surging over the golden parapets now riddled with holes, shattering the section of the wall she is hanging from. Shards of metal and plumes of dust are all she sees as she plummets to the floor, landing in a heap of fur and weapons. The burst rings in her ears as she stumbles to her feet, and the interior of Asgard is laid bare. At least she no longer has to climb inside…

It's a straightforward, intuitive system and the Branch skills and sub-skills really make it come into its own, as they fit the themes really well.

More about some specific rules soon!

Mongoose Publishing

www.mongoosepublishing.com

 

[darkwillow]

I thought I posted my apology, my bad, the first post was a little random, but I get it now, I think shield maidens sounds pretty interesting.

 

[MongooseKat]

In Shield Maidens, every player takes on the role of a female warrior. Shield Maidens aren’t necessarily born female, but all serve under the auspices of the rebel goddess Freya. Even though they are a single group, there’s a lot of variety to be enjoyed during character creation.

After deciding on a concept, players are allowed to spend points on Branch Skills and sub-skills, adding to the variety in-between characters, but that’s not all: they also get to create their own unique Guardian Shield. In the Training Guide, there are 6 hubs to choose from, such as the Wotoan Hub, which carries the accumulated wisdom of ages within its frame. Choosing this hub grants its bearers points in two sub-skills on the Understanding branch.

As you might notice, Guardian Shields aren’t just a way to defend or expand one’s abilities: they also reflect your character’s personality (or the other way around), adding to the roleplaying experience as a whole. We’re definitely looking forward to you finding out more about these iconic shields!

Mongoose Publishing

 

[MongooseKat]

About the Dwarves

When introducing fantasy ancestries, it is always interesting to see what kind of approach a particular story or game takes: are we getting Tolkienesque lineages, or are the authors trying to do something different with them?

At Mongoose Publishing, we were keen to create a truly original take on the dwarves that populate the Norse myths – without actually changing what we have come to know from those riveting tales of gods and heroism. This, of course, was made possible by having the RPG be set in the future, in a time when many of the supernatural beings introduced in Scandinavian mythology have evolved into something else.

Many millennia ago, the dwarves already surpassed all others in terms of technology. In fact, their bodies are not even material anymore, but rather composed of energy. The dwarves’ ability to rearrange and shape the landscape of their entire realm has caused even The Pure to leave them alone, but, luckily, dwarves do not seem to take an active interest in what is occurring in the other eight realms.

Most of them.

 

[MongooseKat]

Shield Maidens uses mythology as a basis for its worldbuilding, and despite how detailed Norse mythology is, we needed more. Creating The Grove, serving as a reminder of the past bounty of the realm was key, and entrusting its care to the Shield Maidens was pivotal.

The Grove rests deep beneath the surface of Midgard. The cave is barely more than a couple of miles wide and tall, but possesses in close proximity the diverse array of flora and fauna of an entire realm in a manner which could not have evolved naturally. It contains a tall chamber in which verdant grass, tall trees which bear ever-ripe fruit, crisp clean air and hundreds of animal species live and flourish. Only the eldest, most revered Shield Maidens know of its whereabouts, and even then, it is spoken of only in hushed whispers. No-one knows how The Grove came to exist, but some theorise that the bountiful cave represents the very heart of the realm.

It stands as testament to the fact that even in the early ravages of Ragnarök, life finds a way to thrive.

Shield Maidens

The Shield Maidens Kickstarter will launch at 2pm GMT on Friday April 1st! ‘Hear well this prophecy, child of Heimdall, for it speaks of your sisters. As the age of the world grows weary, the gods will wage great wars and the glory of humankind will be as to nothing. In those days will stride...

www.mongoosepublishing.com