It’s slow lately in the RPG realms, but here’s a couple items of interest.
1. The “Shaintar” high fantasy setting for Savage Worlds is now available in print!, as well as the rest of Talisman Studios‘ stuff.
2. There’s also a new “Slipstream” pulp SF setting for Savage Worlds. Vacuum is optional!
3. OK, this one makes me throw up a little in my mouth, but here it is. The guys from Evil Hat Games (Spirit of the Century) and Blue Devil Games (Dawning Star) have come together to form “One Bad Egg“, which will be generating 4e content (early release is a new race, the Apelord). Why they want to take actual talent and spill its seed on the rocky ground of 4e is anyone’s guess. I don’t begrudge 4e players some 4e, but I do resent that this likely means less true innovation like “Don’t Rest Your Head” and “Spirit of the Century.” At least they’re not vainly vomiting forth gnomes and barbarians in preparation for being crushed by Wizards directly like many of these 3p companies.
4. Starblazer Adventures, billed as “Rock and Roll Space Opera Adventure” and based on the comic series Starblazer, is out and was a hit at Gen Con. It uses the FATE system as seen in Spirit of the Century! <glares at the Evil Hat guys again>
5. Along the same lines (it seems to be Space Opera Month!) I just came across a cool game, Rocketship Empires 1936. It’s completely systemless, and described an anime fan’s dream – a WWII era pulp/space opera game.
Seems like pulp’s the big thing now – like every time I go to Erik Mona’s blog it’s babbling on about it. Seems like a lot of motion on that era right now, space opera, pulp, and clasisc swords and sorcery.
Well, we’ve got the DFRPG in development, some other SOTC and DRYH products in discussion (the authors tagged for those are being too busy to write back very much, though), and so on. Evil Hat will still be getting attention.
Hey Fred! And for others interested, there’s an interview with Fred on the whole One Bad Egg thing at Game Playwright.
I’m glad you’re not dropping the Evil Hat stuff totally, but it certainly sounds like the innovation focus is being put onto this new venture, and due to the GSL I’m sure we won’t see much of it being folded back in (no porting the Apelord to something else.) Makes me sad. Well, I hope it works out for you; you’re in a good position I think as one of the few indie developers witha track record of great product bothering with 4e, so at list you’ll be a big fish, albeit in a retarded pond. (Heh, couldn’t resist. 😛 )
I should really stop by Jim Butcher’s forum more often. But the real comment, I have the Shaintar Player’s Guide. I think it’s OK but but feels like they force some old D&D stuff into the world like the non metal using elf monks or something like that. But other than that it is a pretty good use of Savage Worlds.