Wizards of the Coast's Archetype Entertainment to Publish Exodus TTRPG Based on Upcoming Exodus Video Game

In something of a surprise, a video game division of Wizards of the Coast has announced plans to publish EXODUS Traveler’s Handbook, a new tabletop RPG based on their upcoming video game. Archetype Entertainment, a division of Wizards of the Coast, announced plans to publish the new rulebook, with details about the upcoming release found on Archetype's website. The book is being made available to followers of the upcoming game first, starting on December 11th. Details on how to get a copy of the limited quantity book can be found here.

EXODUS Traveler’s Handbook was designed by James Ohlen, who created Exodus and was previously designing tabletop RPG books via his Arcanum Worlds imprint prior to joining Wizards and Archetype Entertainment. Arcanum Worlds had published a 5E third party supplement called Odyssey of the Dragonlords and several D&D 5E supplements on the DMs Guild.

Exodus is a new sci-fi video game that deals with human space colonists fighting against the antagonistic descendants of humanity known as Celestials. The game involves time dilation in space travel, which is why there are both humans and their evolved futuristic descendants in the same game.

Currently, it is unclear whether the TTRPG version of Exodus will use some version of Dungeons & Dragons 5E or if it will be a bespoke new game system. EN World has reached out to Wizards for clarification.

A description of the new RPG can be found below:

• Celebrate with Us – This special FOUNDERS TTRPG edition was created by James Ohlen, the creative visionary behind the highly anticipated EXODUS video game.

• Explore the vast world of EXODUS – Face the challenges of this dark and dangerous futuristic world, set in the expanded universe of the EXODUS video game.

• Become the Traveler – Your destiny is to lead the Travelers, in the hunt to steal alien weapons and technology from the most powerful enemy in this universe – the Celestials.

• Confront Time Dilation – Choices you make create consequences changing the fate of those you love most – and reshaping the future of your entire civilization for generations.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Anyways they said Archetype studios project was going to not just be a video game, but a transmedia project and it clearly is.

AAA Video Game, Episode of Sci Fi Anthology show on Amazon Prime, great Novel, and now TTRPG. I wonder what's next, Exodus album? Comic Book? Tattoos? Exodus Rootbeer? Exodus Whiskey, aged to perfection?

 

[Parmandur]

Anyways they said Archetype studios project was going to not just be a video game, but a transmedia project and it clearly is.

AAA Video Game, Episode of Sci Fi Anthology show on Amazon Prime, great Novel, and now TTRPG. I wonder what's next, Exodus album? Comic Book? Tattoos? Exodus Rootbeer? Exodus Whiskey, aged to perfection?

Comics seem plausible. Magic cards, probably?

 

[mamba]

So is this a WotC TTRPG or a game-studio-owned-by-WotC one? Wondering about the attribution / marketing here...

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Comics seem plausible. Magic cards, probably?

Yeah I would not be surprised by a Exodus MtG set eventually, especially it the game is super successful.

 

[Parmandur]

So is this a WotC TTRPG or a game-studio-owned-by-WotC one? Wondering about the attribution / marketing here...

Well, not much info on the TTRPG right now...looks like it is part of the inevitable post Game Awards hype they seem to be setting up, so we will know more after the 10th/11th?

Archetype Entertainment is fully Wizards of the Coast, same as the D&D Studio or Magic Studio. The dust jacket or the novel declares that it is a "Wizards of the Coast Official Licensed Product".

 

[Paragon Lost]

Actually, lookong over Ohlen's ludography again...real time with pause seems almost certain to my mind: literally the only game he was lead on thst didn't use that was an MMORPG (The Old Republic), and he pioneered the concept with Baldur's Gate to begin with (ironic now that BG3 showed the potential of pure turn based ganeplay).

Yeah, and the work he and The Doctors did on mmorpg Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic was really lacking at the time of release. They wouldn't listen to feedback before the release, during and after. All three ended up leaving Bioware with The Doctor's basically retiring in a public statement and Ohlen heading into ttrpg design.

Should be interesting to see what Ohlen comes up with. That said, I'll still be hesitant to leap to quickly into this, but I am interested.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I haven't been keeping up. What kind of game will the video game be?

Well, it looks like not-Mass Effect 4, so I suspect it will have similar gameplay. Action CRPG with pause.

I hope it's turn-based and can be played coop.

Looking at current trends, the authors, and the general hatred towards co-op in the Mass Effect games (didn't the enhanced edition strip it out of 2&3?) my guess it will be single player, and you will play a particular character (like Shepard or Geralt).

 

[GMMichael]

And the time dilation element means that if you choose to go on a long journey through space, a lot of stuff might happen in your absence.

I think that's pretty standard when one goes on a long journey.

I'm just glad to see that I'm not the only one who's been secretly thinking "exodus" for weeks now.

 

[Parmandur]

Yeah, and the work he and The Doctors did on mmorpg Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic was really lacking at the time of release. They wouldn't listen to feedback before the release, during and after. All three ended up leaving Bioware with The Doctor's basically retiring in a public statement and Ohlen heading into ttrpg design.

Should be interesting to see what Ohlen comes up with. That said, I'll still be hesitant to leap to quickly into this, but I am interested.

Yeah, withholding judgement on the video game portion...but the novel was so good, enough that I am majorly excited by the TTRPG potential

 

[Parmandur]

Well, it looks like not-Mass Effect 4, so I suspect it will have similar gameplay. Action CRPG with pause.

Looking at current trends, the authors, and the general hatred towards co-op in the Mass Effect games (didn't the enhanced edition strip it out of 2&3?) my guess it will be single player, and you will play a particular character (like Shepard or Geralt).

The main character in the video game is Jun Aslan, a Celestial-Human hybrid and disinherited heir of a Traveler dynasty trying to secure a future for humanity...yeah, very Shepard-esque.