[Review] Dark Times

Introduction

The name’s Davenport. I review games.

So the other day a superhero flies through the window into my office. Cape, boots, underwear on the outside, the works. The fella even had a logo on his chest: “CP”.

“Hey,” he says, “You Davenport?”

“Uh, yeah?” I says, kinda expecting him to call me “Citizen” or some-such.

“Review copy for ya,” he says, dropping a book on my desk. “Dark Times,” says the cover.

“Thanks, pal,” I says. “Say, what’s the ‘CP’ for? ‘Captain Power’?”

“Chimera Pharmaceuticals,” he says.

“Lousy superhero name,” I says.

“It’s a megacorporation, wise guy,” he says. “Got my powers from’em.”

“Megacorps makin’ supers?” I says. “What kinda superhero game is this, anyway?”

“The cyberpunk kinda superhero game,” he says. “Hence, the ‘dark times’ bit.”

“Cyberpunk superheroes?” I says. “Now that’s a heckuva mashup. This I gotta see.”

“Good,” he says. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to fly. People out there have to know how great Chimera Pharmaceuticals is!”

“But what do they call you?” I says.

“They call me… Spokesman.”

[Q&A] Jim Zub (Dungeons & Dragons: Infernal Tides et al)

<+Jim_Zub> My name is Jim Zub. I’ve been working in comics, animation and games for the past 19 years, but most of the work I’m known for has been produced in the past 10 years as a comic book writer, contributing to a bunch of stories for Marvel, IDW, Image Comics, Dark Horse and others. I have a deep love of tabletop RPGs and board games, and have written

<+Jim_Zub> the most RPG-related comic stories of any comic writer in the business, including Dungeons & Dragons, Munchkin, Exalted, Pathfinder, Kids On Bikes, and Rick and Morty VS Dungeons & Dragons. Over the past year I was also the lead developer and head writer on the D&D Young Adventurer’s Guides, a set of books built to introduce new/young players to

<+Jim_Zub> the precepts of RPGs.

<+Jim_Zub> So yeah, a lot of comics and gaming. Getting the chance to contribute to these worlds has been an absolute thrill.

<+Jim_Zub> Currently I’m writing the new D&D comic series Infernal Tides at IDW, Conan the Barbarian at Marvel, and a creator-owned series for comiXology/Amazon called Stone Star.

<+Jim_Zub> So ask away about my work or working in the business in general and I’m happy to chat about it. (done)

[Q&A] Thorin Tabor (Age of Ambition)

<+Thorin> Hello! I’m Thorin Tabor. I’ve written a few other games in the past — Against the Dark Yogi, Shadows Over Sol, Dime Adventures — but I’m here today to talk about my latest game: Age of Ambition.

<+Thorin> It’s currently Kickstarting: (Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tabcreations/age-of-ambition-forward-facing-fantasy-roleplaying)https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tabcreations/age-of-ambition-forward-facing-fantasy-roleplaying

<+Thorin> Age of Ambition is a game set in a fantasy world which is rapidly leaving the traditional fantasy milieu behind.

<+Thorin> It was once a traditional sort of fantasy setting, but time has moved on and its evolving into… something else.

<+Thorin> And the players characters are at the forefront of this change, helping guide the world into whatever it is to become.

<+Thorin> And this follows a trend which I’ve noticed in fantasy literature. No longer are fantasy worlds these static things with no significant technological, magical or social progress. They’re evolving, they’re changing. And that’s an aspect that I want to help bring to the tabletop.

<+Thorin> So I’ve written this game.

<+Thorin> It’s inspired by a variety of fantasy fiction, most prominently including: Joe Abercrombie’s First Law series, Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, Scott Lynch’s Gentleman Bastard series and Brian McClellan’s Powder Mage trilogies.

<+Thorin> Socially and culturally, the world is rapidly advancing from its equivalent of Earth’s Middle Ages, into what might be called the Early Modern era. This is giving rise to new ways of thinking, and to advances in both magic and technology.

<+Thorin> And you, as a player character, may be helping make some of those advances. (Or alternatively, trying to push back against them.)

[Q&A] Giles Pritchard (Corsairs)

<+Giles> Well – Hi everyone, my name is Giles Pritchard. I’ve worked as a freelancer in the RPG industry for a few years now. Last year I started Caradoc Games as a vehicle through which I could explore and create some content of my own. I have released a few micro-rpgs, and decided to throw my hat into the ring with ZineQuest.

<+Giles> The game I am releasing through zinequest is called Corsairs, it’s a 32 page rpg zine, of high action and adventure, set in a world of sky ships and floating islands.

<+Giles> You can find the Kickstarter page here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/caradocgames/corsairs-an-rpg-zine

[Q&A] Jason Durall (RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha)

12:30:47 <+danhunsaker> When you’re ready, go ahead and introduce yourself and your project!

12:32:46 <+JasonDurall> Hi everyone! I’m Jason Durall, line editor for RuneQuest and most things BRP-related at Chaosium that aren’t Cthulhu.

12:33:21 <+JasonDurall> I’ve been there for about three years now, juggling the role with my duties on Conan and Dark Conspiracy.

12:33:56 <+JasonDurall> We’ve just recently released “The Smoking Ruin & Other Stories” for RQ, a collection of adventures and sourcebook material.

12:34:00 <+JasonDurall> (done)

12:34:07 <+danhunsaker> Thanks, JasonDurall! The floor is now open to questions!

12:34:17 <+danhunsaker> Do you have a link for folks to have a look at?

12:34:57 <+JasonDurall> https://www.chaosium.com/the-smoking-ruin-other-stories-pdf/

12:35:26 <&Cegorach> Does the book still concern itself with the region around Dragon Pass?

12:35:26 <+JasonDurall> and https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/298400/The-Smoking-Ruin–Other-Stories?src=hottest

12:36:04 <+JasonDurall> Yes. It’s set in the area called the South Wilds, primarily, though one of the adventures begins in Clearwine.

[Review] The Witcher

Introduction

The name’s Davenport. I review games.

So the other day an armored fantasy-lookin’ fella walks into my office with white hair, cat’s eyes, a nasty scar runnin’ down his face, and a sour expression. Couldn’t really blame’im. He looked like he’d been through the wringer.

“Greetings,” he says. “I’m a Witcher.”

“A witch or what?” I says.

“A Witcher,” he says. “I’m a magical mutant who hunts monsters for pay.”

“There much money in that gig?”

“Not much,” he says, “but it’s what I was made for.”

“I can relate,” I says. “So what brings you by today?”

He pulls a book with his mug on the cover outta his bag and drops it on the desk. “I’ve a review job for you. The Witcher roleplaying game.”

I look it over. “So is this about killin’ monsters for not enough moolah?”

“It can be,” he says. “But you can play all manner of characters: A doctor, a wizard, a priest, a bard, a warrior, and more besides.”

“Sounds good,” I says. “I’ll give it a look. But tell me somethin’: Are you sure you don’t make enough money?”

“Yes, quite certain. Why?”

“Seems like someone in your line of work would make a killin’.”

[Q&A] Kevin Paul Tracy (Advanced Fantasy Role-playing

<+Kevin_Paul_Tracy_|_FRP> Okay, My name is Kevin aul Tracy. I’ve been publishing fiction and non-fiction since I was a teenager. I’ve been playing RPGs since the OG redbox edition of D&D. I’ve played just about every mainstream RPG there is, and some of the lesser known ones.

<+Kevin_Paul_Tracy_|_FRP> I’ve been designing games almost as long, including a scifi RPG and a tabletop war game simulation using regular toy soldiers.

<+Kevin_Paul_Tracy_|_FRP> Advanced Fantasy Role-Playing is my high fanatasy RPG. For the geeks, it’s a d100 dentric, modifier based RPG that is, as we say, unapologetically complex at a time when may RPGs are simpligying and streamlining. The game is all but done, we are working on soliciting artwork for our rulebooks, and then we’ll be ready for release.x

[Q&A] David Fitzgerald (Dead Things)

<+DMFitzgerald> Here

<+DMFitzgerald> Sorry

<~Dan> Howdy, DMFitzgerald!

<+DMFitzgerald> I am late

<+DMFitzgerald> I thought it was tomorrow

<~Dan> Nope, you are 24 hours early. 🙂

<~Dan> It is tomorrow.

<+DMFitzgerald> LOL

<+Akyla> hi

<+DMFitzgerald> Hey

<+DMFitzgerald> Akyla

<+DMFitzgerald> I cannot make it tomorrow..

<+DMFitzgerald> 😦

<+DMFitzgerald> I have a class

<+DMFitzgerald> That I am finising up on.

<+DMFitzgerald> But I am here now!

<~Dan> Oh? Sorry to hear that. But feel free to talk about your project now if you like!

<+DMFitzgerald> TY

[Q&A] Jared Earle & Mark Rapson (SLA Industries 2nd edition)

<+MarkR> Hello everyone. I am Mark Rapson and I am one of the 4 owners of Nightfall Games and we are the creators and publishers of SLA Industries.

<+MarkR> The other 3 are Jared Earle, David Allsop and Chris ‘Shep’ Shepperson

<+jearle> Hi, I’m Jared Earle and I’m another of the four Nightfall guys

<+MarkR> SLA Industries (pronounced “Slay Industries”) is an award-winning pen-and-paper role-playing game that was first published in Scotland in 1993. The game is a horror noir science-fiction setting set in a dystopian reality in which the majority of the known universe is either owned or indirectly controlled by the eponymous corporation SLA Industries. The game is a horror noir science-fiction setting set in a dystopian reality in which the majority of the known universe is either owned or indirectly controlled by the eponymous corporation SLA Industries.

<+jearle> We’re currently in the middle of our SLA Industries 2nd Edition kickstarter

[Q&A] Ed Jowett (Era: Forbidden)

<+Ed_Jowett> Hi everyone! I’m Ed from Shades of Vengeance!

<+Ed_Jowett> It’s a pleasure to be back among you all once again, talking about another game – in fact, the 10th game line which I have spoken about here – Era: Forbidden.

<+Ed_Jowett> Inspired by Hellboy and Darksiders, Era: Forbidden is a game where you take the role of a more-than-human character and fight to protect Humanity in the ruins of our once-great civilisation.

<+Ed_Jowett> If you want a look at the Kickstarter, it’s right here: (Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/shadesofvengeance/era-forbidden?ref=a6wyi0)https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/shadesofvengeance/era-forbidden?ref=a6wyi0

<+Ed_Jowett> The story begins when the world ended. Armies came from the skies, with weapons Humanity couldn’t comprehend, much less fight against. Our cities destroyed, we were reduced to running, hiding like rats.

<+Ed_Jowett> Someone found that taking a weapon from one member of these two armies – we refer to them as Angels and Demons, but who even knows what they really are – mutates a Human. We’ll change, grow stronger, larger, more able to fight back.

<+Ed_Jowett> The Angels and Demons don’t care about us, only about destroying each other. And only these people who change – the Forbidden – can protect us.

<+Ed_Jowett> Players take the role of a Forbidden in this game, which is designed for a small number of players – it’s optimised for 1-2 players and a GM – and try to fight back against the invaders… not to defeat them, but to protect whatever remains of Humanity.

<+Ed_Jowett> It runs on the Era d10 Rule Set and offers several new features, such as a new method of levelling and some rather interesting item traits linked to that.