Tag Archive for: Titansgrave

Green Ronin 20 For 20 Sale

Green Ronin 20 For 20 Sale

20 For 20 Sale

2020 is Green Ronin’s 20th anniversary, and to celebrate we’re having a site wide sale of all our games and accessories. Everything in the Green Ronin Online Store is for sale for 20% off through April 20, 2020, except for active pre-orders like Lairs for Fantasy AGE and Enemies & Allies for Modern AGE. We really appreciate all the support you’ve given us over the years, so please enjoy some great games at a great price!

Fantasy AGE: Campaign Builder’s Guide – More Than a GM Guide (Ronin Roundtable)

One of the fascinating things about jumping in as a game line developer after the game is pretty well established is that you have to go from a casual fan of the game (and it’s various products) to a real expert. That process takes time – I’m still not as expert as I’d like to be with Fantasy AGE just yet – but it can also be a really useful journey of discovery. When you are just reading up on RPG material as you need them for your own games you can miss some really neat, important, or clever bits of game design just because you don’t think they sound like something that appeals to you.

Art by Claudia Ianniciello

This brings me to the Fantasy AGE Campaign Builder’s Guide.

Now, this book has been out for a while, and my predecessor Jack Norris did a really great job talking about the book’s role, why it’s a crucial tome that should not be overlooked, and previewing some of the excellent material in it. Back in July.

Which I did not read at all. And, as a result, I hadn’t taken a look at this book despite owning it and being a fan of the game system, until it became part of my job.

And, I suspect I’m not the only Fantasy AGE fan who just skipped over this. And that’s a shame.

So, in a combination mea culpa and apologia, I present:

The Top Ten Cool Things I Didn’t Know Were In The Fantasy AGE Campaign Builder’s Guide.

  1. Probability Charts.

I played a LOT of Champions back in the 1980s, which used a 3d6 roll low resolution system, so i have some instinctive feel for what the odds are I’ll roll a 9 or less on 3d6. But I am much less apt to know there’s a 44.44% chance to roll doubles on any given 3d6 roll, which is crucial knowledge when coming up with new stunts and wondering how often they’ll come into play. Some GMs will have no use for this, and that’s fine, but it saves the rest of us a LOT of math.

  1. Rules-Free Good GMing Advice

I really expected this book to mostly be rules, and rules about rules. But there’s a lot of solid, system-agnostic tips and techniques for being a fun, memorable GM in this book. The “Saying Yes to your Players” sidebar alone is worth its weight in gold.

  1. A Whole Discussion on Changing Frameworks

Sure, I expected lots of good advice and rules for creating various different campaign frameworks. But tips on when, how and why to change a campaign’s framework? Never considered it, and the utility of this book is greatly increased for its inclusion.

  1. Some Of The Best Advice I Have Ever Read On How To Create Your Own Adventures

Again, this is designed for Fantasy AGE, but transcends just this rule system. I’d happily recommend it to any GM who struggles with feeling comfortable designing adventures for their players, regardless of what RGP system they are using.

  1. Rules for Creating Honorifics and Memberships as Rewards

It’s much more common for a game to mention a player might end up being called a Dragon-Slayer by locals and bards than to go into any kind of detail about how that honorific may game-mechanically aid the character.

  1. A Random magical properties Table for Magic Items

This is really useful for helping GMs figure out what the heroes find in the troll-barrow.

  1. Guidance for Building a Pantheon

Most (though no, not all) RPGs either assume you’ll use their assumed campaign setting’s pre-determined deities (or real-world religious beliefs), or that you’ll largely ignore the divine. Making gods, and delving into questions like is there a difference between a god and an immensely powerful mage or monster, is a fairly specialized skill set that not everyone has much experience with. This is one of the places this book really fulfills its ‘Campaign Builder’ title better than a lot of “GM Guides” I have read, and again I’d encourage GMs building a campaign or any game system to read this.

The Random Religion tables, in particular, are genius.

  1. SubGenre Rules

It’s one thing to discuss potential campaign genres and subgenres. It’s something altogether different to offer subgenre-specific variant rules. Ranging from Cinematic Acrobatics to Investigation Stunts and Supply Ratings, with these rules you don’t just tell the players they are the wuxia police of a mystically-fueled train making a 1-year journey through a zombie-overrun wasteland (during which it must never dare stop or be overrun), the game rules actually change to support that specific concept.

  1. Random Charts of Business Details

Players wanting to know what merchant shops are visited by someone they are following in town is one of the things that can cause me to hem and haw for way too long. Being able to bounce some dice and tell them quickly it’s a Weaponsmith and Bookstore, but most of the staff seem busy preparing for someone’s wedding? That’s a fast and fun way to flesh out those unexpected trips into the merchant quarter.

  1. Location Stunts

I love Fantasy AGE’s stunt system, and to me this is the biggest gem of the book. The idea that in a city rich with magic, stunts that increase magic damage might cost 1 less stunt point? That’s gold, and it opens up a whole new realm of potential encounter and campaign design for Fantasy AGE.

That’s not to say there isn’t a LOT of other material in this book. These are just the things that most caused me to stop and say “huh” out loud! If you haven’t picked it up, give it a look. If you have, but like me have barely cracked the spine yet, I suggest you set some time aside to explore the book in greater depth.

Ronin Roundtable: Enter the Modern AGE!

So, at the beginning of May, we announced we’re going to produce the World of Lazarus, a guide to roleplaying in Greg Rucka’s SF-feudal Lazarus comic series. We noted it would be a setting for the Modern AGE roleplaying game.

Yes, this means we’re making a Modern AGE game. We said so in a sort of soft, sneaky way, but today, we’re going to dig into what that means.

 

 

Modern AGE?

Modern AGE uses the Adventure Game Engine to power stories set in the “modern era,” a period we’ve designated as running from the 18th or 19th century, through the present day, and into the near future. That means guns and computers, transoceanic empires and raucous democracies, and the Cold War and beyond, into the great geopolitical realignments of our time. But it also means urban fantasy, psychic powers, conspiracies and all the speculative and strange sources that fuel modern stories.

The Adventure Game Engine is the system you first saw in the Dragon Age roleplaying game. You witnessed its evolution into Fantasy AGE with Wil Wheaton’s Titansgrave setting, and into Blue Rose: The AGE RPG of Romantic Fantasy. Modern AGE might be thought of as a counterpart to Fantasy AGE, but if you’re familiar with one of these games, the rest will come easily. Modern AGE adds some new things to the system, and revises a few solid concepts to make them easier to use.

Developing the game, it’s been important to me to stick with the A.G.E. system’s core concepts: ease of play, strong tools for character development, and most of all, stunts.

Stunts and Areas of Interest

Stunts are the system’s “killer app;” where other games often struggle to integrate special actions and exceptional results, the A.G.E. system uses stunts to make them emerge during play. Modern AGE introduces some new stunts, but we also recognize the decision paralysis that can happen when doubles hit the table. That’s why we’ve designated go-to core stunts and places stunts into shorter, focused lists.

Putting stunts into categories means thinking about what characters do during the game. Accordingly, we’ve mapped out three core areas of interest: action, exploration and social play. Action encompasses combat, chases and other physical challenges. Exploration combines its counterpart in Fantasy AGE with investigation. Social play develops the “roleplaying” category, acknowledging that modern games often require heroes to present themselves properly in all the scenarios thrown up by complex contemporary cultures.

The three areas of interest act as a focus throughout Modern AGE’s design, not just stunts. Heroes with abilities covering all three can take on nearly any challenge the GM cares to throw at them.

Character and Genre Modes

Fantasy AGE presents broad classes, archetypes in that genre, and provides advancement options that allow you to lock in more specific elements over time. Modern era games don’t have the same archetypes, however, and don’t need the same niche protection vital to the feel of fantasy adventure gaming. So, we’ve gone classless. After developing a background, a profession and a drive that pushes your hero out of obscurity and into the story, you’ll select ability advancements, talents and specializations freely.

In some games, a private eye is someone who uses a car, camera and laptop to find evidence for divorces and lawsuits, while in others, they’re a two-fisted, iron-chinned stalwart with a talent for getting tangled in murders. The difference? Genre. Not all modern games feature the same degree of realism, so we’ve included specific rules modes to fit the stories you want to play through. The three basic modes are gritty, for stories where violence is unforgiving, pulp, where a battered hero can, say, claw their way out of danger, and cinematic, where protagonists achieve the competence often reserves for fantasy heroes and the most outrageous action games. These modes affect character toughness and stunt access, and guide advice you’ll read throughout the book.

And Beyond

In upcoming columns, I’ll talk more about Modern AGE’s design foundations, and the details that make them work. Until then, let me ask you something: What clicks for you about the Adventure Game Engine RPGs you’ve played? What do you want to see down the line? I’m developing it even as we speak, and things are getting locked in, but I’d love to read your conversations–and ever so sneakily, have you spread the word that Modern AGE is coming . . .

And in a Further Manipulative Move

. . . oh wait. It’s not all about me. While you should indeed talk about Modern AGE until it’s a breakfast cereal, I have been reminded that our Kickstarter for The Lost Citadel — Post-Apocalyptic Fantasy Roleplaying is in full swing. I was actually one of the authors in the short story collection that inaugurated this shared world, which we’re transforming into a setting for 5th Edition roleplaying. But if you’re an Adventure Game Engine fan, know this: If we hit $32,500, we’ll unlock the A.G.E System Hack, which converts the Dead-bound Zileska setting to A.G.E family games.

And if you’re curious about the setting and stories of The Lost Citadel, we have a sample short story available for FREE on our website. Check out Requiem, In Bells, by Ari Marmell.

Titansgrave: The Hermit’s Road (Fantasy AGE PDF)

Titansgrave: The Hermit's Road (Fantasy AGE PDF)

Titansgrave: The Hermit’s Road (Fantasy AGE PDF)

Just in time for International Tabletop Day, we have a brand-new Titansgrave adventure, The Hermit’s Road!

The Player Characters  are sent to investigate the existence of purported pre-Cataclysm ruins on the outskirts of the City-State of Karros. Here they discover more than they bargained for, as the ruins hide a secret more valuable than gold or jewels.

The Hermit’s Road is designed for characters of levels 2-4. You only need the Fantasy AGE Basic Rulebook to run it, though having Titansgrave: The Ashes of Valkana is certainly helpful.

Walk the Hermit’s Road for just $3.95

Fantasy AGE Game Master’s Kit

Fantasy AGE Game Master's Kit

Fantasy AGE Game Master’s Kit

Today we’re pleased to introduce the latest product for the Fantasy AGE RPG: the Fantasy AGE Game Master’s Kit

Fantasy AGE Game Master’s Kit
Author: Chris Pramas
Artist: Brian Hagan
Format: 3-panel hardback GM Screen and 5 reference cards

The Fantasy AGE Game Master’s Kit is a key accessory for your Adventure Game Engine campaign. It features a three-panel hardback screen with all the essential game info you need at the table. It also includes 4 quick reference cards that put the stunts and actions at your fingertips, and a combat tracker that you can write on with wet or dry erase markers. The Game Master’s Kit is the perfect complement to the Fantasy AGE RPG and will help you kick off your game with style.

Order your Fantasy AGE Game Master’s Kit today!

Press Release: Wil Wheaton’s New RPG Series To Use AGE System

Wil Wheaton Is Putting Your Money Where His Mouth Is With New RPG Series

Details Revealed on the Highly Anticipated Record Breaking
Crowd Funded RPG Show From Wil Wheaton and Geek & Sundry

April 2, 2015 – Los Angeles, CA – Just one year ago, Wil Wheaton and the team at Geek & Sundry shattered the record for most money raised for a web series with the promise of a TableTop RPG spinoff. The new 10-episode series will premiere Tuesday, June 2, exclusively on www.GeekandSundry.com and will feature an all-star cast including Hank Green (VlogBrothers), Laura Bailey (Avengers Assemble), Alison Haislip (Attack of the Show), and Yuri Lowenthal (Ben 10, Big Hero 6).

“I’m going to take viewers on an epic adventure with phenomenal players through a world that is unlike any they have ever seen before,” says Wil Wheaton, “I’ve been privileged to work with some talented writers and designers, and am so lucky to have an amazing cast and crew to help me bring this to life.”

Without further ado…after a yearlong drumroll…the name of the show is…

Titansgrave: The Ashes of Valkana

The game will be played using Fantasy AGE, the latest iteration of the Adventure Game Engine by Green Ronin Publishing. Green Ronin will publish a Titansgrave: Ashes of Valkana world and adventure book in conjunction with Fantasy AGE this summer. Gamers will be able to play through the adventures seen on the show and experience the world of Valkana for themselves.

The series will feature live-action game play augmented by animation as the audience follows the weekly journey of the adventurers through this original world.

For more from Wil on Titansgrave: The Ashes of Valkana, head over to Geek & Sundry www.GeekandSundry.com and follow on Twitter and Facebook for details and updates!

Geek & SundryAbout Geek & Sundry:

Geek & Sundry is a digital entertainment company recognized for providing the best in award-winning Internet television content featuring leading voices in geek culture and lifestyle. Founded in 2012 by Felicia Day, Kim Evey, and Sheri Bryant, the company offers a diverse lineup of compelling content and events that have cultivated a thriving community and social media presence for fans of gaming, comics, music, comedy and literature around the world.  Geek & Sundry is spearheaded by prominent geek figureheads including Felicia Day (The GuildSupernaturalDr. Horrible) and Wil Wheaton (The Big Bang Theory, Star Trek: The Next Generation), and has launched fan-favorite shows such as TableTopCo-OptitudeWritten By A KidSpellslingers and Spooked which have earned them over 1.5 million subscribers and 140 million views. The network has also launched their Twitch Channel that received over 5 million minutes viewed within its first week of going live to further connect with the online community. Geek & Sundry has won multiple accolades and nomination votes from the Annual Streamys, IAWTV, Origins, Davey, Diana Jones and Producers Guild awards since launch.  The office is headquartered in Burbank. For more information, visit www.geekandsundry.com and watch us on YouTube at www.YouTube.com/GeekandSundry.

Green Ronin LogoAbout Green Ronin Publishing:

Green Ronin Publishing is a Seattle based company dedicated to the art of great games. Since the year 2000 Green Ronin has established a reputation for quality and innovation that is second to none, publishing such roleplaying game hits as Dragon Age, A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying, and Mutants & Masterminds, and winning over 40 awards for excellence. For an unprecedented three years running Green Ronin won the prestigious GenCon & EnWorld Award for Best Publisher.

www.greenronin.com