Freebies and Pay What You Want
Note: While “Pay What You Want” downloads are available for free, please support the creators if you are able!
Green Ronin Publishing released the Fantasy Age Quickstart for the second edition of the fast-paced Adventure Game Engine RPG. The quickstart features a streamlined intro version of the AGE rules, pre-generated characters, and the adventure “Terror o the Ghost Ship”.
- Price: Free
Downsized Press has the third issue of their Downsides Dungeons with The Ziggurat of the Lizard People. This fully-stated mini-dungeon is ready to run for Old-School Essentials with hand-drawn maps for the old-school feel.
- Price: Pay What You Want (Suggested: $1.99)
Geek Rampage released Crystal City Chronicles, an anthology of six Sci-fi/Western adventures for Stars Without Number. Explore the lawless frontier mining planet Zephyrus-2 and meet the inhabitants of Crystal City as you stop off here for a one-shot or start a new campaign.
- Price: Pay What You Want (Suggested: $2.00)
In an interesting OSR Retroclone, Dank Dungeons released Spectral Exterminators: A Hilariously Horrifying Roleplaying Game, a “legally distinct” version of the old 1980s West End Games Ghostbusters RPG. This has the full open license version of the game free of any licensed material for your paranormal investigation and elimination RPG news.
- Price: Pay What You Want (Suggested: $1.00)
RPGuPolaka has a system-neutral sci-fi adventure These Aren’t the Alpacas You’re Looking For as part of the One Page Derelict Jam 2024. Investigate what happened to the ship of merchant Amir Al-Fayed and why this herd of a dozen alpacas ended in disaster for his ship.
- Price: Pay What You Want (Suggested: $1.00)
If you want a more OSR take on the classic post-nuclear apocalypse setting, Bombland in Bad Decline from Operant Game Lab draws inspiration from Knave, The Red Hack, and the classic Fallout games.
- Price: Pay What You Want (Suggested: $5.00)
Alexander Nachaj released The Mask of the Black Sun: A Taggart Agency Mystery, a 1920s module for Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition. The investigators are in the Canadian city of Salem Falls, New Brunswick, seeking out a stolen ancient mask and unraveling the mystery behind it and those who seek it out.
- Price: Pay What You Want (Suggested: $4.99)
Over on Dungeonmasters Guild, Rashid Clark has a massive adventure for Level 1-3 characters, The Fade Lands. This over 180-page adventure includes new magic items, new playable species, new monsters, a new campaign setting, and a lot more.
- Price: Pay What You Want (Suggested: $0.00)
Death Pits of Brightshire from Nathan Ashley is an adventure for 5th to 7th level characters where the adventurers are sent to track a lost Merchant’s Guild caravan and find themselves entangled in the diabolic secrets of the town of Brightshire.
- Price: Pay What You Want (Suggested: $1.00)
So, you’re all in a tavern. The barbarian starts running their mouth about who is the strongest when a mysterious patron calls them out on their boasts. How do you determine who is the strongest without resorting to a barroom fight? Bas Klein has an answer with Armwrestling – A Game for In-Game Taverns with over the top rules for arm wrestling.
- Price: Pay What You Want (Suggested: $1.09)
Over on Storytellers Vault, Sky Bradley and Henry Langdon have an update to a classic sourcebook with Clanbook: Gangrel 5th Edition. This 59-page book includes 7 new archetypes, 13 new Discipline powers, 4 new Loresheets, 4 new Gangrel Bloodlines, 5 new predator, types, and more.
- Price: Pay What You Want (Suggested: $0.00)
Combat has always been downplayed in the various Storyteller games, but even then it’s an inevitability that physical conflict will happen between Kindred. Eric M. Souza wants to make running the combat easier with The Quick Combat Book, a new streamlined combat system for Vampire: The Masquerade and other World of Darkness titles including 1st, 2nd, Revised, and 20th Anniversary editions.
- Price: Pay What You Want (Suggested: $0.99)
The first Lightning Round this week features gamemaster/DM resources like monsters, maps, random generators, one-page adventures, drop-in encounters, and more. All products are Free or pay-what-you-want.
The second Lightning Round features player resources like classes, subclasses, backgrounds, feats, races/species, and more. All products are Free or pay what you want with the suggested price in parentheses.
Bundles and Sales
Note: I have included end dates when listed for the following sales, but please be warned that those without published end dates may end suddenly so be sure to plan purchases accordingly.
If you’re looking for maps for your VTT, this week’s sales are for you. Starting off, Tellest has the 50 Maps of Tellest Volume 1 bundle with over 50 battlemaps for a variety of environments including campsites, cliffsides, keeps, forests, bayous, savannas, taverns, sewers, and more
- Price: $29.91 (83% off)
Next up for the sci-fi fans is the Maps In Space! Map Pack from Alpha Strike Games Limited with eight maps from spaceships to asteroid bases to colonies to orbital facilities and more.
- Price: $4.99 (50% off)
Gabriel Pickard has the perfect bundle for an unsettling encounter with the Bio Builder Blistering Bundle with a collection of map elements to create a living landscape of flesh and body parts capable of creeping out even the most hardened space marine or stalwart fantasy adventurer. I’d throw in horror investigators, but they’re a nervous bunch already.
- Price: $11.98 (20% off)
Over on Storytellers Vault, Ugo Leão released the adventure and setting pack Living and Burning Gods Bundle. The bundle includes the Vampire: Age of the Living Gods setting covering the Sumerian Empire in 2350 BCE along with the three-part adventure Burning Gods. Also available in Portuguese.
- Price: $24.99 (29% off) in English
- $14.99 (25% off) in Portuguese
Charity Bundles and Sales
Goodman Games released Dungeon Crawl Classics #105: By Mitra’s Bones, Meet Thy Doom! This 2nd level adventure by Stephen Newton is a tribute to designer Jennell Jaquays and inspired by her Dark Tower adventure, playable either as a stand-alone adventure or as a prelude to more explorations of the Dark Tower.
- Price: $19.99
- Charity: Jennell Jaquays medical expenses (50%)
Veteran game designer Owen K.C. Stephens has posted a GoFundMe to cover the costs of his medical treatment as he fights cancer. Owen’s list of credits is more of a list of popular RPGs as he has worked on Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, Starfinder, d20 Modern, Star Wars, d20 Modern, Dragon Age, and that’s just the start.
- Charity: Owen K.C. Stephens Medical Expenses (all proceeds)
For another way to help Owen, Echelon Game Design collected so, so many titles for the Owen KC Stephens is RAD! Bundle. This bundle includes titles for Pathfinder (both editions), Starfinder, Savage Worlds, Icons, Call of Cthulhu, Song of Ice and Fire, Thieves World, Wheel of Time, D20 Modern, Dragon Age, Gamma World, and a lot, lot, lot more.
- Price: $29.99 (97% off, total value of the bundle is over $1000)
- Charity: Owen K.C. Stephens Medical Expenses (90% of sale price)
Over on Bundle of Holding, Modphius has the John Carter of Mars bundle for the pulp sci-fi/adventure 2d20 System game. The Starter Collection includes the core rules, narrator screen and kit, and maps of both Barsoom and Korad, while the Bonus Collection adds on the Phantoms of Mars campaign, three sourcebooks, and two card decks.
- Price: $7.95 (78% off) with variable-cost Level Up option
- Charity: RollVsEvil (10%)
- End Date: April 1, 2024
Goodman Games is here in the charity section for the second time this week (and won’t be the last either) with the Goodman D20 Monster Guides bundle. This bundle of D20 system/3.x sourcebooks have rules for expanding several monstrous races and rules on how to play them as player characters as well. The Minor Threats collection includes the books for Doppelgangers, Dragonkin, T-Rex, Treants, Velociraptors, and Wererats while the Major Threats collection adds on Beholders, Drow, Fey, Liches, Rakshasas, Vampires, and Werewolves.
- Price: $9.95 (78% off) with variable-cost Level Up option
- Charity: San Francisco-Marin Food Bank (10%)
- End Date: April 7, 2024
Over on Humble Bundle, the Pathfinder 2nd Edition Guns of Alkenstar bundle looks to throw you into the Outlaws of Alkenstar Adventure Path and other gunslinging adventures in Golarion. The base level includes the digital version of the Pathfinder 2nd Edition Beginner Box, the Outlaws of Alkenstar Player’s Guide, the first adventure in the adventure path Punks in a Powder Keg, and the one-shot Head Shot the Rat. The second tier adds on the Pathfinder 2nd Edition Core Rulebook and Bestiary (the original OGL versions and not the new updated versions), the Lost Omens World Guide and Character Guide, plus the second adventure path adventure Cradles of Quarts. The third tier adds the third and final adventure The Smoking Gun, the sourcebook Guns & Gears, the setting book Impossible Lands, and the rulebooks Advanced Players Guide and GameMastery Guide plus all three adventure path adventures in VTT format for Foundry. The top tier adds on top of all that a physical copy of the Pathfinder Guns & Gears equipment book (shipping & handling additional).
- Price: $5/$15/$30/$40 (90% off at top tier)
- Charity: Worldbuilders Inc. (user-defined, default 5%)
- End Date: April 11, 2024
Magpie Games has an impressive bundle this week with the Best of Magpie Games Bundle. The base tier includes six games from Magpie Games plus the trio of Fate Codex Anthology titles, the second tier adds on four books for the superhero RPG Masks: A New Generation, the telenovela RPG Pasion de las Pasiones, and three other titles, while the top tier has the big ones: the dark fairy tale series Bluebeard’s Bride, the licensed RPG based on the board game of woodland critters at war Root, and the powerhouse licensed title Avatar Legends with the core rulebook, Wan Shi Tong’s Adventure Guide sourcebook, the adventure An Urgent Request set during the Roku Era, and the Avatar Legends Starter Set not just in digital format but also the physical boxed set (shipping not included)
- Price: $5/$15/$25 (94% off at top tier)
- Charity: Child’s Play (user-defined, default 5%)
- End Date: April 13, 2024
Cubicle 7 has the Warhammer Fantasy Role Play Bundle. The base level includes the Warhammer Fantasyt Role Play Starter Set plus two adventures and a 20% off coupon to the Cubicle 7 store. The second tier adds on the core rulebook and six more adventures, while the top tier gets you eight more adventures with the full bundle having the entire Enemy Within campaign.
- Price: $1/$15/$25 (91% off at top tier)
- Charity: Children’s Health Ireland
- End Date: April 4, 2024
Goodman Games has the Dungeon Crawl Classics & Mutant Crawl Classics Megabundle 2. This bundle has four tiers with the first tier featuring the core rules for Dungeon Crawl Classics, two adventures, and a 20% off coupon for the Goodman Games store. The second tier adds on the core rules for Mutant Crawl Classics along with the DCC Reference booklet, two zines, and four more adventures. The third tier adds on so much more with a total of 79 products including sourcebooks, adventures, zines, genre expansions, and a whole lot more. The highest tier ads on a physical softcover of the Mutant Crawl Classics Core Rulebook (shipping and handling extra).
- Price: $1/$15/$25/$40 (95% off at top tier)
- Charity: No Kid Hungry (user-defined, default 5%)
- End Date: March 28, 2024
Modiphius has a bundle for Dune: Adventures in the Imperium ready to send you on adventures on Arrakis and beyond. The base level includes the Quickstart and Agents of Dune Deluxe Starter Set along with character sheets and a 50% off coupon for select physical Dune products. The second tier adds on the standard edition core rulebook, the Gamemaster’s Toolkit, the campaign book Masters of Dune, and the introductory adventure Desertfall Adventure. The top tier adds on enough for a full library of books for 18 total including setting books, campaigns, adventures, NPC collections, rules expansions, and more.
- Price: $1/$10/$18 (91% off at top tier)
- Charity: charity:water (user-defined, default 5%)
- End Date: March 21, 2024
That’s all for this week! If you know of any bundles or sales starting soon, please contact me on the EN World Discord, tag me on Mastodon, or send me a message here on EN World. Discount percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole number and are based on the standard retail price provided by the site. Note: Links to Amazon, Humble Store, Humble Bundle, Fantasy Grounds, and/or DriveThruRPG may contain affiliate links with the proceeds going to the author of this column.
]]>The Arkham Horror Files is unique in the tabletop gaming industry for basically being one of a kind – in that it is the closest thing we have to a cinematic universe. Featuring titles such as Arkham Horror: Third Edition, Eldritch Horror, Mansions of Madness: Second Edition and Arkham Horror: The Card Game, the Arkham Horror Files is a collection of tabletop games that all take place within the same fictional universe.
The Arkham Horror Files is still nowhere near as recognisable a universe as the Marvel comic book universe or Alien.
Though the types of tabletop games vary throughout the Arkham Horror Files, from the co-op miniature gameplay of Mansions of Madness: Second Edition to the quick dice-rolling of Elder Sign, they all share elements of narrative and tone that remain consistent between each game. Rather than just being games that take inspiration from the Cthulhu Mythos, entries in the Arkham Horror Files universe often feature a recurring cast of characters that will pop up in multiple games: such as Akachi Onyele, a Shaman who appears in Arkham Horror: The Card Game and Eldritch Horror, or the explorer Monterey Jack – who has been included in Arkham Horror: Second Edition and Mansions of Madness: Second Edition.
Besides recurring characters, games in the Arkham Horror Files collection have other shared aspects such as an emphasis on narrative – regardless of whether it’s a shorter title like Elder Sign or a much longer one, such as Eldritch Horror – and a similarly bleak tone designed to prepare players for the worst, as well as imbue playthroughs with that signature cosmic horror flavour the Cthulhu Mythos is famous for.
Though creating more games for an existing franchise might seem like the safest move possible in today’s climate, the situation is a little different when it comes to the tabletop. The Arkham Horror Files, despite the number of popular titles in its franchise, is still nowhere near as recognisable a universe as the Marvel comic book universe or Alien – both of which have their own tabletop roleplaying games now. Which is why the better approach to this upcoming RPG would be to provide something unique rather than rely wholly upon name-recognition.
The worst thing that could happen with the horror RPG is that it relies too heavily on the Arkham Horror Files brand.
It’s not like other entries in the Arkham Horror Files universe haven’t taken risks, far from it. When the original Arkham Horror (1987) was acquired by Fantasy Flight Games – the current publisher behind titles in the Arkham Horror Files collection – it was re-released in 2005 as roughly the same game, albeit with a new coat of paint. However, in 2018 a third edition of the horror board game was published, this time offering an entirely new approach to the Arkham Horror formula: one that more closely resembles 2013’s Eldritch Horror, solidifying it as Fantasy Flight’s own take rather than simply an updated version of the original Chaosium game.
Fantasy Flight has messed about with previous versions of its own original board games too. The first edition of Mansions of Madness requires a player to take the role of a games master, performing all the admin necessary for the other players. In 2016, Mansions of Madness: Second Edition released with one significant change from the original: it no longer needed a player to take the role of GM. Instead, Mansions of Madness: Second Edition has players downloading a companion app that they can use to handle all the administrative stuff required for the game, thereby leaving all players free to explore the terrors of the mansion themselves.
Both of these changes had the potential to seriously piss off the fans of the previous editions and cause their player base to lose interest in the series. However, by taking these risks with both Arkham Horror: Third Edition and Mansions of Madness: Second Edition, the two titles have managed to stay relevant within the tabletop gaming community and maybe even attract entirely new players by offering a more accessible experience than the older versions.
Fantasy Flight should take this opportunity to create a horror TRPG imbued with all the best bits from previous Arkham Horror Files’ games.
This is why I’m hoping that Fantasy Flight may be willing to take some risks with the Arkham Horror Files roleplaying game. The worst thing that could happen with the horror RPG is that it relies too heavily on the Arkham Horror Files brand and ends up fading into the shadows of TRPGs with more recognisable names. Call of Cthulhu is a tabletop roleplaying game that continues to be played to this day, despite being over 40 years old by this point. There isn’t a definitive reason as to why Call of Cthulhu has survived where other older RPGs have failed, but its gameplay mechanics – which do a fantastic job of building atmosphere and emphasising survival horror – have certainly helped it stand out amongst other roleplaying games.
The Arkham Horror Files RPG is in the unique position of being a horror tabletop roleplaying game made by a publisher with a substantial history of releasing horror games. Fantasy Flight should take this opportunity to create a horror TRPG imbued with all the best bits from previous Arkham Horror Files’ games: namely the punishing challenge and the potential for terrible things to suddenly and violently happen to your characters. It’s already a good sign that the upcoming RPG is not using D&D 5E, but it would be brilliant to see the Arkham Horror Files RPG apply some more unusual gameplay elements.
From Call of Cthulhu, to Dread, to the Alien RPG – horror roleplaying games have a history of playing around with gameplay mechanics in order to take advantage of being deliberate anti-power trips. I sincerely hope that the Arkham Horror Files RPG does something similar, otherwise I fear it may become just another roleplaying game left to fade into obscurity.
]]>Joel ‘Mr. Joel’ Sparks’ rules-light delight was released back in 2014 as a playful take on the world-saving adventures seen in the likes of Call of Cthulhu. Instead of humans fighting back otherworldly monsters and Old Ones, the task fell to a group of cats (led by their “Cat Herder” GM) facing down the Chaos-worshipping cultists of other animal species.
In keeping with its lighter atmosphere, Cats of Catthulhu did away with the crunchy maths of its TRPG inspirations in favour of an easy-to-learn system powered by rolls of two six-sided ‘cat dice’. Standard challenges would be passed by a single success – a result of three and up – on either die, while more difficult tests required successes on both. This being cats, there were also treats to go around. Spending a treat – earned in a similar way to inspiration in Dungeons & Dragons – would allow a reroll.
Cats could further boost their odds of success by using their role and skills to prove they’re the Right Cat for the Job, earning a free success – a default pass for normal challenges. Doubles sixes added even greater success through a Triumph, earning additional advantages from their prowess. On the other hand, rolling double ones – Snake, I mean, er, Cat Eyes – led to an embarrassment for the cat performing the test, potentially leading to extra complications.
The original Cats of Catthulhu was followed by several more charming homages to Lovecraftian horror, including an expanded core rulebook in The Nekonomikon, GM guide Unaussprechlichen Katzen and a selection of alternative settings in Worlds of Catthulhu. The books were later collected into a ‘DeLuxe’ set.
Now, the game is back to mark its 10th anniversary with a newly revised set of rules – simplifying challenges, tweaking combat (or ‘scraps’) and revisiting its campaign settings – in an expanded core rulebook accompanied by a collection of cute accessories, including cat-face dice, fish-shaped treat tokens and cat meeples.
Cats of Catthulhu’s 10th anniversary Kickstarter will also crowdfund De Felis Mysteriis, an adventure collection with 10 scenarios that can form standalone sessions or a complete campaign. The scenarios have been penned by designers including Jiangshi: Blood in the Banquet Hall co-creator Sen-Foong Lim, Adventure Time RPG designer Matt Fantastic, Marvel Multiverse co-creator Matt Forbek and Teatime Adventures author Grace Collins, among others.
The crowdfunding campaign has already exceeded its $25,000 goal with over three weeks left on the clock. The 10th anniversary edition of Cats of Catthulhu is expected to release this August.
]]>Created in 1928, the mythos of Cthulhu is still a relevant and wildly popular part of pop culture and horror to this day.
Created by H.P. Lovecraft in 1928, Cthulhu has been a major player in the horror genre for decades. Even when Cthulhu doesn’t show up, his influence is immediately recognizable. But who is Cthulhu? How did he come about?
And why do we still reference his stories nearly a hundred years later?
Call of Cthulhu & the Creation of a Horror Icon
Published in February 1928, The Call of Cthulhu is a short story by American Horror writer H.P. Lovecraft. It was inspired in part by a dream that Lovecraft had a few years earlier. The story takes place over three parts or chapters, each seeming disconnected from the previous parts.
The basic premise is that a character named Thurston finds a bas-relief depicting Cthulhu among his great-uncle’s possessions. We learned that it was made by an artist in a dream-like state. Around the same time, many other artists were experiencing the same phenomenon. It’s learned that at some point before it came into the great-uncle’s possession, it had been seized by police from members of a cult in New Orleans.
In part two, police inspector John Legrasse investigates a local “archaeological society” with some blasphemy and Cthulhu-worshiping tendencies. Members are described as insane and claim Cthulhu’s return is imminent.
In the final part, we meet Johansen. Johansen is a sailor on a Norwegian ship who landed on the uncharted island of R’lyeh. Upon exploration, they discovered a giant door that Cthulhu emerged from. This instantly killed many of the sailors, with others dying of fright or going mad shortly after. Only Johansen successfully fled and survived before R’lyeh sunk back beneath the waves.
“Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn” (“In his house at R’lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming”)
– The Chant of Cthluhu’s Worshipers
Since then, Cthulhu has shown up in everything from eldritch horror stories to pop culture jokes and Easter eggs. And with his gigantic size and his appearance of an octopus with a bit of a dragon, he is unmistakable.
READ MORE: “Please Do Not Resist This K2S0 Breakdown”
Cthulhu Mythos
Cthulhu is one of a number of “cosmic horrors.” This pantheon of ancient and powerful deities from space once ruled Earth and has since fallen into a death-like slumber. Also known as the “Great Old Ones,” they now reside hidden in various locations around the world, waiting to one day rise again.
There are many Great Old Ones, each as terrifying as Cthulhu in their own right. These include Basatan, of Master of the Crabs, Gobogeg of At the Mountains of Madness, and Nyogtha of The Salem Horror.
Many of the Great Old Ones have their own dedicated cults and worshipers. Members see these ancient gods as a source of secrets and truth. In many cases, they have the ultimate goal of seeing them awaken and rise to power once more.
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The fictional school of Miskatonic University, located in the equally fictional city of Arkham, conducts much of the study of the Great Old Ones. Lovecraft placed Arkham somewhere in the very real Essex County, Massachusetts. While the location of Arkham is purposefully vague, Essex County is home to the historically spooky city of Salem, MA.
What is Cthulhu, Exactly?
Each of the Great Old Ones is, by definition, almost impossible for a mortal mind to describe or conceive of. He is usually depicted with a mountainous dragon-esque body, rubbery skin, and a face covered in octopus-like tentacles.
As one of the Elder Gods, Cthulhu is a cosmic being of untold evil. His long slumber underwater leads to him often being described as a water elemental.
In truth, both within and outside of the context of the Cthulhu mythos, it is nearly impossible to know much about him. Those who perceive too much of the Great Old Ones begin to lose their sense of self. The characters’ likely warped sense of reality can make their stories difficult to believe.
And that is one of the things that make eldritch horror so unique and scary–it’s impossible to know anything for sure, even when the narrator says it.
How is “Cthulhu” Pronounced?
Lovecraft wrote once that Cthullhu was supposed to be said as “Khlûl′-hloo” and would go on to explain, “the first syllable pronounced gutturally and very thickly. The ‘u’ is about like that in ‘full’, and the first syllable is not unlike ‘klul’ in sound, hence the ‘h’ represents the guttural thickness.” But, his description of the sound varied from time to time.
He also noted, however, that this was simply the closest our human mouths could ever come to pronouncing “Cthulhu” and that the actual pronunciation was alien and impossible.
Most commonly, though, people refer to this particular Elder God as kuh-thoo-loo.
Is Cthulhu Real?
No. Well, I certainly hope not.
Who Owns the Cthulhu Mythos Now?
It’s hard to speak about Cthulhu and his creator this much without acknowledging Lovecraft’s long history of racism. Reading these works, even through the lens of understanding that they are nearly a hundred years old, can be uncomfortable for modern readers. And while I won’t tell you what he chose to name his pet cat, I’ll wait a moment while you google it for yourself.
This history has made people who are otherwise fans of the genre and monsters he created feel uneasy. And in turn, many aspects of the Lovecraftian mythos have fallen out of favor.
After his death in 1937, Lovecraft’s estate and works were inherited by his only surviving heir, Annie Gamwell. It was passed on to her descendants after that. But by this point, all of H.P. Lovecraft’s works, creations, and characters have fallen into to the public domain.
In other words, nobody owns Cthulhu or any of his other Elder Gods or short stories. And as a result, everything from books and comics to shows and movies, to tabletop RPGs have been able to use the mythos and monsters in a way that turns much of the uncomfortable history on its ear or even subverts it.
Try not to wake Cthulhu, adventurers!
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The makers of Call of Cthulhu want to help you make your next game, and are offering $10,000 in prizes to help get everything going.
Chaosium, best known as the makers of the eldritch behemoth that is Call of Cthulhu have launched a challenge for aspiring RPG designers. The Basic Roleplaying Design Challenge, as the name suggests, is a new design competition for designers working with Chaosium’s Basic Roleplaying Universal Game Engine, which recently got a new edition.
Even if you’re not familiar with Chaosium’s Basic Roleplaying or BRP system by name, you’ve encountered it before. It’s been around for decades. BRP uses the same d100 system that powers the eldritch abominations you run into in the course of any Call of Cthulhu Adventure. Whether you set your campaign in the 20s, 40s, or even the Victorian era, the Basic Roleplaying System is there.
And now, Chaosium wants you to add your ideas to the mix.
Chaosium’s Basic Roleplaying Design Challenge
Chaosium’s BRP Design Challenge is all about getting new creators to bring their ideas to publication, using Chaosium’s newest edition of the BRP engine, that is. Which, you know, fair point. A contest to highlight your new system is a great way to get people playing with it.
And all entrants will retain full ownership of their work, and will be able to publish their projects under the ORC License, which the BRP is under. Here’s a rundown of the full details:
Chaosium is excited to announce the Basic Roleplaying Design Challenge!
The goal of the BRP Design Challenge is to financially assist new and upcoming creators in bringing their games to independent publication (be that digital or print). Chaosium seeks to empower designers from all walks of life, with original ideas, concepts, and systems, with the goal of seeing all shortlisted entries eventually published independently.
Entry to the BRP Design Challenge is free.
As part of submission, entrants will need to provide:
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- A pitch for their game (both in long and short form).
- A production budget for their game.
- An outline on how the winnings from the BRP Design Challenge will help bring their game to life
- A competitor market analysis of their game, showcasing where it fits in the market as a product.
- How the BRP rules have been used in their game.
- What makes their use of the BRP system, their setting, and/or the gameplay experience unique.
All entrants retain ownership of their work in its entirety. Chaosium does not require the signing over of rights of any kind in order to enter the BRP Design Challenge.
Winners and shortlisted entries will also retain ownership and—regardless of what winnings may be received as part of this competition—may still publish their games royalty-free under the ORC license.
There are a total of 14 different prizes awarded to 10 finalists. Of the entries, Chaosium’s judges will pick a Shortlist of 10 games that will win a $500 prize. From that shortlist, 3 will be chosen as winners, and will receive an addition $2000 prize, and there will be 1 People’s Choice who will receive an additional $500 on top of any other award.
You also get a trophy! The contest is open and runs until May 31st!
Submit your Entry to Chaosium’s BRP Design Challenge
Learn more about Designing with BRP
Good luck, and hopefully we’ll be writing about your idea sometime in the future!
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Arkham Horror expands in a new direction, with a newly announced RPG bringing yet another venue for Cthulhu to the tabletop.
Yesterday Asmodee announced a new RPG in the works. Coming via Edge Studio, it looks like we’ll soon be getting an Arkham Horror RPG. This is huge news for fans of the Arkham Horror franchise, which for me personally, is the card-based game of exploration, investigation, and eldritch horror. As the name suggests, Arkham Horror uses the Cthulhu Mythos, and in fact, began life as a board game based on the Call of Cthulhu RPG from Chaosium.
It took on a life of its own in the Fantasy Flight “living card game” and other titles in the Arkham Horror series. What’s curious is how this game will differ from the other big eldritch horror fish in the pool, Call of Cthulhu.
But, the announcement is still wet and writhing, bereft of sense, and marked by the pale light of a baleful star. So we’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, here’s what we know:
Arkham Horror the RPG
Adapted for the first time as a TTRPG, check out our upcoming release!
Stay tuned for more news!#ttrpg pic.twitter.com/VwlrEJMXQH— Edge Studio (English) (@edge_english) March 6, 2024
The announcement came via Twitter, with a minute-long video teaser that says more about the tone of the game than showing off any actual mechanics. But, the accompanying press release talks about the new mechanics at the heart of the game, a “Dynamic Pool System” that promises to be “easy to learn” while containing “strategic depths that are sure to entertain even expert TTRPG players”:
This box is absolutely brimming with a treasure trove of physical components (poster maps, dice, NPC cards, puzzles, tokens, handouts…) that add to the keystone design focuses of the adventure– narrative immersion and thrilling story moments! Arkham Horror The Roleplaying Game Starter Set – Hungering Abyss will launch worldwide during Gen Con 2024 (see the complete list of countries below) and will be demoed there for the first time at the Arkham Horror booth. In addition, all hobby stores that are part of the Hobby Next Program will offer a free additional set of dice when buying the Starter Set. Because we never have enough dice when playing a TTRPG!
There are a few other details about the game, mostly focused around the contents of the new sarter box. There’ll be all sorts of punchboards with “puzzles and tokens” handouts with evidence like journal entries, letters, and the like. Even a set of double-sided poster maps to draw you into the game. But about the DPS? All we know is that it’ll use d6s.
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It will be interesting to see what Arkham Horror the RPG does to stand out from the other Eldritch Horror games out there. But Arkham Horror does have a lot going for it in terms of its previous stories, explored in other tabletop media, to play with. So perhaps it’ll draw from that!
Either way, the game releases at Gen Con this year! So look for more about Arkham Horror the RPG as we approach August.
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Chaosium, the tabletop publisher behind Call of Cthulhu and RuneQuest, has offered a grand total of $10,000 in prize money to amateur designers who take part in the Basic Roleplaying: Universal Game Engine Design Challenge.
Open to contestants from anywhere in the world, the BRP Design Challenge tasks designers with creating new tabletop titles using Chaosium’s Basic Roleplaying engine – this D100-based system was first used to power the original 1970s RuneQuest and featured roll-under mechanics (meaning players must roll under a target value to pass a skills challenge or successfully land a hit during combat).
Versions of that system now rests under the hood of several popular RPGs, including Call of Cthulhu and the upcoming King Arthur Pendragon 6E. Contest entries will use the 2023 release of the Basic Roleplaying: Universal Game Engine core book, which was published under Paizo’s ORC license and therefore allows creators to publish anything using its rules without owing royalties.
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Entrants can be either digital or physical but all must explain their interpretation of the BRP rules and explain the unique qualities of their bespoke system, narrative setting or tabletop game. They will also need to submit a production budget for the project, explain how they would use the money awarded from the design challenge and outline how and where their RPG is best marketed. Entering a project into the BRP contest does not sign over any rights to Chaosium – all contestants, whether they win or not, will retain the entire rights to their work.
Chaosium says the goal of the BRP Design challenge is to “financially assist new and upcoming creators” and “empower designers from all walks of life, with original ideas, concepts, and systems, with the goal of seeing all shortlisted entries eventually published.” All shortlisted games and the eventual trio of winners will receive a trophy, award logos they can print on product materials and “can expect continued promotion on the Chaosium channels as they work toward eventual publication,” according to the company.
The submission window will remain open until midnight on May 31st, after which Chaosium will judge the contestants’ creations and shortlist 10 projects to receive an initial $500 prize. Of those, three winners will be presented an additional $2,000, each. A public-voted Player’s Choice will earn a separate $500 prize. More information about the BRP Design Contest, including submission guidelines, can be found on Chaosium’s website.
]]>Many of you are probably yelling, “Wait, but there’s already Call of Cthulhu!” at your screens. Yes, Chaosium’s RPG of 1920s gumshoe and cosmic horrors is already a massively popular hit, but publisher Edge Studios and Asmodee seem keen on leveraging their version of a haunted Northeast US coastline to players more familiar with character sheets than decks of cards.
Arkham Horror The Roleplaying Game will support two to six players, plus a Game Master, and use what Edge Studios (which most recently adapted Legend of the Five Rings to 5E rules in Adventures in Rokugan) calls a Dynamic Pool System (DPS). A press release described it as “easy-to-learn but strategically deep system based only on 6-sided dice for maximum accessibility,” but it just sounds like the dice pools that plenty of other tabletop RPGs already deploy. That’s not a bad thing – dice pools are rad, but slapping a flashy name on it doesn’t automatically make it revolutionary.
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Regardless, Arkham Horror TRPG is keeping its eye on RPG newcomers who have no prior experience with any of the previous Arkham Horror Files games, the cosmic horror subgenre or even tabletop RPGs. The starter box will contain everything a group needs to immediately dive into the included adventure, Hungering Abyss. The cover art shows a party of spooked and cautious regular-degular people foregrounded against a graveyard and cultists with both horns and tentacles. Yep, this is pure Arkham Horror vibes.
Hungering Abyss has been designed to digest in 10 discrete scenes that should take a little over an hour, each. Alongside the 48-page adventure book are 5 character portfolios, three double-sided maps, 16 character profile cards, 21 item cards, and a mess of handouts and tokens. There’s also 24 six-sided dice included, so nobody will be forced to raid their Monopoly boxes if it’s their first time playing an RPG.
Edge Studios plans to unveil Arkham Horror The Roleplaying Game’s starter box and intro adventure at Gen Con 2024, where they’ll be running open demos. The full game will launch in retail during the same weekend, hitting hobby store shelves and online stores on August 2nd in the USA, Canada, UK, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Distribution to other European countries not mentioned in the press release will reportedly go through the ADC Black Fire network.
Attribution
Howdy, folks! It’s been a while since we’ve done one of these blogs, and in that time, we’ve added some wonderful new folks to the Creative Department and had a couple of former Paizo creatives return to lend their expertise to Pathfinder and Starfinder. Since it has been a while, some of these folks have been with us for quite a few months, but you didn’t know that and that’s no reason not to join us in welcoming them. It’s been great having new people and new voices on the team in design, development, art, and edit to add their keen experience and varied experiences to the fabric of the Paizo Creative Department.
Michelle Kim
Hey everyone! I’m Michelle, a developer on Pathfinder’s Narrative team. I started off as a freelance writer for Paizo so you’ll see my name pop up in projects like Season of Ghosts, Howl of the Wild, and Lost Omens Divine Mysteries as well as some other unannounced products down the pipeline. I’m a big fan of horror ttrpgs like Call of Cthulhu, Ten Candles, and Bluebeard’s Bride but also a huge sucker for mecha games like Spectres of Brocken. I’ll play almost anything; crunchy? Yes. Narrative? Also yes.I have a few personal projects in the works including a Joseon setting supplement for Good Society: A Jane Austen RPG. If you want to find me on socials, I’m on Twitter at @_missmyk_ and on Bluesky at @missmyk.bsky.social.
Lynne Meyer
Hello! I’m Lynne (she/they), a queer, autistic, chronically ill femme originally from Chicago. Since joining the editing team last June, I’ve been living my best Leslie Knope life in Indiana and working on incredible stuff I can’t wait for you all to see.
Named a 2021 Queer in Games Awardee by Rainbow Game Jam, I’m best known for my work on the ENNIE Award-winning Uncaged: Goddesses and Uncaged Anthology. In my free time these days, I’m usually doing one of three things: playing the Chief Medical Officer in my Star Trek Adventures home game; doting on Izzy, my ancient, beloved kitty; or drinking way too much coffee as I wrap writing for the upcoming All the Witches TTRPG. I’m an unapologetic dice goblin, an em dash enthusiast, and an octopus stan who thinks that the Dumbo Octopus is the cutest thing ever. Come say hello on Bluesky (@lynnemeyer.bsky.social) and Twitter (@Lynne_M_Meyer).
Joshua Birdsong (he/him)
Hello Paizo fans! I am Joshua Birdsong. I am now the newest Designer on the Rules & Lore team. I am very excited to work among such an experienced team, and I am still (and hopefully always will be) learning so much. I cannot wait to help make awesome stuff for our game! I believe my first debut will be in Monster Core! You can find me @impr0phet.
DFTBA
Adriana Gasperi
I am Adriana Gasperi from Caracas, Venezuela, I am a graphic designer, traditional and digital illustrator, and fine artist in Portland, Oregon since 2017. I have been painting cats since 1995 my brand name is Gatos Ilimitados (unlimited cats) https://www.instagram.com/adriana.gasperi.art/ and lately I have been also painting all kinds of animals, and pet portraits. I have been vegan for the animals for about 8 years and belong to an international group of vegan artists called The Art of Compassion Project where we donate art related to animals and veganism. I live with my husband and 6 cats in downtown Portland. I love my job at Paizo and also the diversity and inclusiveness of the company, I enjoy working from home. I am a true crime documentary and podcast fan, Serial Killers is one of my favorite podcasts, as thrillers and horror movies (especially classics), film noir, American Horror Story, and all their new ones like American Crime Story, actually everything Ryan Murphy creates and produces, The Shinning and Psycho are two of my favorite movies.
Jason Keeley
Who, me? I guess you could say that I’m one of those “returning faces,” having come back to Paizo last year to take a position as a Senior Developer on the Pathfinder Rules & Lore Team! In my career at Paizo, I’ve been an editor, a developer of Starfinder Adventure Paths, and more! I’m thrilled to be working with second edition and with the rest of this team, who are an honest-to-goodness bunch of rock stars. You can find me at herzwesten on a lot of the social medias and if you want to see the type of things I get up to in my spare time, check out This Compleat Breakfast (a game about cereal mascots) on my itch.io page!
Felix Dritz (he/him)
Greetings fellow finders of the paths and stars! I’m Felix, one of the editors who sift through the many words you read. This means I check for general errors, discrepancies, formatting, and ensure it has that recognizable Paizo style.
I was first introduced to Pathfinder Organized Play in 2016 by accident, and I never left. So many kind and supportive people adopted me into this community, and I’m overjoyed that I get to support the games they love. It’s been a surreal journey to get here, but now I’m at a desk editing for a game I adore and the community I love.
When not editing for Paizo, I’m usually homebrewing my ever-expanding Pathfinder 2nd Edition setting. If I’m not editing or writing, then I’m likely playing Pathfinder, GMing at local game stores, mashing buttons on a videogame controller, or cooking. I’m not active on social media, but I hope to meet you around the table someday!
Bill Fischer
Bill Fischer has been creating strange and terrifying worlds for role-playing games for over 30 years. He is the author of The Runewild Campaign Setting published by Sneak Attack Press and has done both writing and editing for Kobold Press, Goodman Games, Roll For Combat, AAW Games, and EN Publishing. He lives in Minneapolis, MN with his partner and children.
Mike Kimmel
Hello! I’m Mike Kimmel, and I’m thrilled to be the newest member of the Starfinder team. Since coming on board in September 2023, I’ve been hard at work with my colleagues to create Starfinder Second Edition. While my prior work as a developer for Pathfinder Society Organized Play mostly involved adventure design, I’ve been able to stretch my narrative and game design muscles on the Starfinder team in all sorts of interesting ways these past few months. Alas, I can’t talk much about the things I’m working on—yet—but stay tuned for more Starfinder news in the coming weeks! I can’t wait for you to see what we’ve got in store for you.
Aside from working on games, I like to play them, too! I’m a fan of cooperative games of all kinds, and I also enjoy relaxing with a nice cup of tea and a challenging permadeath videogame. When I get a chance to run an RPG campaign, I tend to lean into horror themes—the spookier the better. If you’d like to chat about games, recommend a good book to me, or play some chess, you can find me on various Paizo-related Discord channels or drop me a line at mike.kimmel@paizo.com. Please note that I am not accepting glitch gremlins or other mischief at this time!
Simone D. Sallé (she/they)
Hi again! I’ve been in the Paizo orbit as a temp, freelance, and full-time contracted editor since 2018. I joined the staff as a senior editor in 2022 and have been having a wonderful time wrangling words with the creative team ever since! While we’ve worked on a lot of great projects lately, I’m particularly excited for everyone to see <em>Pathfinder Howl of the Wild</em> in May, which has some extremely fun new ancestries and mechanics, incredible art, and a heartfelt story.
Unsurprisingly, words and games fill a lot of my time outside of work as well: I have a spreadsheet of SFF book recs for anyone who asks, a handful of Pathfinder and indie TTRPG campaigns on my calendar, and an overflowing queue of Steam games that I frequently ignore to revisit Subnautica (my beloved). I also do freelance editorial work as Wildwood Editing for projects like Queerfinder and Luminant Age. I’m grateful to my Disreputable Dog, Penny Kibeth, for reminding me to take a break from screens and get some fresh air every day.
Editors largely operate behind the scenes, and our best work is invisible, but I can confidently say that I work with some of the finest professionals in the industry, and it’s a delight to learn, grow, and help shape the games I love with them and everyone else at Paizo. I’m not as active on social media these days, but if you track me down I’m always thrilled to discuss conscious language in storytelling, the merits of style guides, and how we can make our worlds—both real and imagined—better for everyone.
]]>Whether you’re playing D&D, Call of Cthulhu, or something else entirely, there’s always a little room for the great old ones at the table.
The Halloween season may almost be over, but there’s never a bad reason to draw your closest friends into a game of eldritch horror and spookiness. Whether you’re looking for a creepy one-shot for tomorrow or a fun way to add tentacles to your ongoing campaign, there are lots of ways to have a little more Cthulhu at the table.
1. Call of Cthulhu Starter Set
This is usually a pretty D&D-centric post, but if you’re looking to play a Cthulhu (or general Lovecraftian feel) themed game, it probably isn’t the best system for you. That’s not to say that you can’t use D&D; I had a DM run an Arkham-based, Lovecraft-inspired game with GURPS because it’s what they were most familiar with. But if that’s the game you want, there are systems designed especially for that game.
And the first that comes to mind is, of course, Call of Cthulhu. This starter set has everything you need to get your game going with intro adventures, starter rules, ready-to-play characters, blank sheets, dice, and handouts and props to use at the table.
2. Fate of Cthulhu
The other system that I’d recommend for the Eldritch game of your dreams is the slightly newer and easier, Fate of Cthulhu. Using the Fate roleplay system, your team works together to prevent an apocalypse of a Lovecraftian nature. If you’re interested but want to know more about this system, I highlighted it back when it came out. But if you’re looking for a more modern take on Cthulhu with a pretty simple ruleset, Fate of Cthulhu is your game.
3. Cthulhu Dice
Say, however, that you really, really want to play D&D. Even if it’s not the right system for an Eldritch game or you’re planning on just playing something completely different. That’s cool, there are still loads of ways to add this tentacle-covered face to your next session.
For example, this set of hollow, metal dice with a little Cthulhu on every dice face is just the right mix of thematically appropriate and useful. You probably don’t need more dice, but you’re going to add four more sets to your collection soon anyway so why not Cthulhu?
4. Dice Tray
This dice would be perfect for a session of Call of Cthulhu, but it would be just as helpful for any other tabletop RPG where you want to roll dice without worrying about losing one to the floor.
There are designs both on the cover and inside, so you don’t even need to choose between function and fashion, and the circumference has a perfect little river for holding the dice you’re not rolling at that time so they won’t get in the way. It’s very clearly Cthulhu, but any game would be a little more stylish (and organized) with this dice tray involved.
5. Cthulhu Notebook
When it comes to D&D you’re either a player who takes meticulous notes or no notes at all. There isn’t an in-between with the exception of session one where a few no-notes people will briefly convince themselves that they’ll be notes people before inevitably giving it up just in time for session two.
That last one is always me. But maybe this next game really is our time, maybe we’ll finally become notes people. With this very cool Cthulhu notebook with 192 blank pages ready for all of your adventures, we have a shot!
Do you have any Cthulhu-inspired D&D accessories? Did any of our picks make it onto your wish list? What’s your favorite system to play an Eldritch Horror game in? Let us know in the comments!
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Happy adventures!
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