As
the proud designer, I would like to announce the release of
Heirs to the Lost World, Role-Playing
in the Mythic New World During the Age of Exploration.
It is a table-top role-playing game set at the fringe of contact
between the Old and New Worlds in an alternate history in which
the Aztec Empire never fell. Creating this game has been a labor
of love, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
* Players can portray a wide variety of characters such as Mayan
lightning warriors, Aztec jaguar knights, swashbuckling pirates,
African voodoo priests, mysterious alchemists, or agile capoeira
masters.
* The system uses a core mechanic that allows players to decide
how their characters are expending effort.
* Action is fast, cinematic, and heroic as players make tactical
decisions in a transparent system that immediately rewards creative
and interesting stunts, thus keeping the game exciting on both
narrative and mechanical levels.
* Bookkeeping is minimized, and there are no tables or rules
to consult during play, so play remains engaging and exciting.
Heirs to the Lost World is an 8"
by 10", 243 page, B&W soft cover book. The book contains
everything you need to play, including tools to get started
immediately such as a sample adventure and pre-generated characters.
Right now, the game is available in print from the Obsidian
Serpent Games website at www.ObsidianSerpent.com
and from RPGnow
(as a PDF), but more venues will be added soon.
As the designer of the game, I am searching for RPG podcasters
and bloggers interested in reviewing the game. I would love
to send you a free PDF copy for review. If you would like to
write a review, but a PDF is difficult for you, let me know,
and we can make arrangements. If this seems intriguing, please
contact me.
Chad Davidson
chad@obsidianserpent.com
Additional details about the game:
Setting:
The year is 1665 and the Americas are a land of mystery and
adventure. Using their ancient powers of sorcery, the Aztecs
have been fighting off Spanish conquistadors for almost 150
years. Although getting incredibly wealthy from their New World
mines and the plunder from conquering smaller indigenous groups,
the frustrated Spanish nonetheless continue their crusade against
these native warriors and their heathen spellcasters. Pirates
and privateers from other European nations like the English,
French, and Dutch prowl the Caribbean preying on fat Spanish
galleons laden with treasure. American Indian tribes struggle
against their traditional rivals as well as invaders from the
East. Combining African magic with secret knowledge gained from
both the Europeans and the New World cultures, escaped slaves
form secret colonies and wreak havoc on their former masters.
Explorers delve into Tierra Incognita in search of El Dorado,
the Fountain of Youth, and the Seven Cities of Cibola. In the
midst of all of this a comet streaks through the sky allowing
a secret cult to open a gate to the Realm of Fear. Welcome to
the Lost World.
While the game works for any type of adventure in this setting,
the default meta-plot assumes the Player Characters are members
of a mysterious secret society called the Order of a New Dawn.
Founded as an offshoot of the Rosicrucian Brotherhood, the New
Dawn has diverse members including American Indians and Africans
as well as Europeans. These dissimilar members are united in
purpose to oppose the corruption and oppression that seems to
be spreading and try to build a place in which everyone, Old
and New Worlders, can live peacefully free of tyranny.
Rules:
The core mechanic allows players to decide how their characters
are expending effort. Action is cinematic (rather than realistic)
and heroic (rather than gritty). Players make tactical decisions
in a system that rewards creative and interesting stunts, thus
keeping the game exciting on both narrative level (in the fiction)
and mechanical level (in the rules). Bookkeeping is minimized,
and there are no tables to consult during play.
The game includes:
* A cinematic combat system simple enough to run large battles
yet interesting enough for climatic duels.
* A flexible point-buy character creation system with optional
Paths. For faster play, use one of the sample Heroes representing
the most typical character types.
* An advancement system in which Heroes gain skills and abilities
by using their skills in dramatic ways, satisfying their motivations,
and portraying their complications.
* A free-form magic system representing alchemy, voodoo, sun
magic, blood magic, and shamanism. Players can use sample spells
or make their own during play.
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