Eidolon Joins Nox Valar & Other Iconic Spooky TTRPG Cities
Selecting between these thematically similar, but ultimately vastly different, cities, would probably come down to what tone I want for a Halloween season adventure. The Black Ballad’s Nox Valar is not about the fear of death, as most residents have already crossed that bridge. It’s about looking back at life, making peace with death, and pondering what lies beyond Purgatory in the true afterlife. The reality of the ghosts of the city’s dead dwelling in guns and communications devices all across Eidolon makes the low value of life for the average citizen plainly evident, in that city. Death is ever-present, and the setting begs you to take risks to ensure that life is worth living there.
DEBT MERC & Emberjack Offer Two Ways To Die Glorious Deaths
Whether a particular Storyteller out there is looking for the setting for their next epic Cyberpunk campaign or dark fantasy chronicle, or just a simple and approachable mecha combat system to bolt onto another game’s system, the DEBT MERC and Emberjack double campaign book has plenty to offer. I also recommend STs look to the idea of running short, tragic stories in both settings. Even if the intent is to run a grand campaign that sees the capitalist system of DEBT MERC torn down once and for all, a short adventure that humanizes all the mercs who don’t survive to see their debt paid down can add context and emotional investment to the world.
As An Appetizer To The Rich, You Can Eat the H.I.V.E.
Eat the Reich uses very simple mechanics, a straightforward dice pool system where the players roll against the Storyteller to determine if they succeed at their actions, most of which are the violent murders of Nazis. It is largely Narrativist, encouraging players to get creative with their carnage, with little opportunity for Gamist builds or strategies. Eat the H.I.V.E. takes all of these elements and repurposes them into a far future setting which includes many fantasy elements like dwarves, orcs, and elves. Capitalist overlords hoard the wealth and profit from the labor of the poor, which is just the status quo of the world we live in, set in space.
Magical Anarchy & Other RPG Campaign Adaptations Can Thrive
Adaptations of Tabletop RPGs to other mediums include the video game Disco Elysium, The Expanse novel series, and many more. Magical Anarchy is an upcoming audio drama adaptation of The Seventh Age, a fantasy novel series adapted from a World of Darkness LARP Chronicle. These adaptations are wonderful for the TTRPG hobby, and for storytelling as a whole.
Who’s Afraid Of The Big Bad Metaplot?
Metaplot in tabletop RPGs has proven to be among the most strangely divisive features any game line can offer. For a brief definition, in the context of RPGs Metaplot generally refers to a set of canon events that slowly reshape a fictional setting over time. Traditionally Metaplot was offered through a slow drip feed of information in supplemental books, though it was sometimes also updated in large chunks in new editions of core books. While Metaplot bore a poor reputation as of the mid 2000s, I think we need to reassess its role in the hobby. Honestly, I miss it.