What’s Up with Modern AGE? Winter 2020 Edition

I haven’t blogged about Modern AGE in a while. As we’ve mentioned before, COVID prompted us to change how and when we release some things, and Modern AGE is part of that, but not because anybody has slowed down. So, let’s talk about the state of things for the line.

Before we get too far into what’s coming, be sure not to miss out on the current Bundle of Holding! You can pick up a whole bunch of Modern AGE PDFs at a great price, and even The Expanse RPG if you beat the threshold!

Modern AGE Missions

Modern AGE Missions is a series of adventures that don’t rely on any pre-published game settings. Future Modern AGE Missions are currently in development under Meghan Fitzgerald and should start rolling out in 2021. We currently have two ready published and ready to download:

Warflower, an adventure featuring corporate intrigue, medieval mysticism, and Italian martial arts, where the GM picks the culminating secret. Green Ronin Online Store / DrivethruRPG
Feral Hogs, a post-apocalyptic fever dream of online retail distribution centers turned fortresses, overly potent energy drinks, leaky nuclear reactors and, of course, the titular feral hogs, in multiple mutant forms. Green Ronin Online Store / DrivethruRPG

Five and Infinity for Threefold

Threefold is Modern AGE’s flagship campaign setting. Get it HERE. Learn about it HERE.

Five and Infinity was originally intended to be a book of adventures for Threefold, but things being what they are, we released them as individual adventures instead. In 2021, we’ll be compiling them into a single product, including something we left out of the first set of releases: Steve Kenson’s section on generating your own planes to visit. If you want to get a head start, grab the series now:

Chapter 0—The Adventure Generator: Outline your own stories with tables and tools designed by veteran game designer Jesse Heinig. Green Ronin Online Store / DrivethruRPG
Chapter 1—Hunting Night: Pursue a renegade spider goddess across the suburbs in this adventure for starting characters by Ron Rummell. Green Ronin Online Store / DrivethruRPG
Chapter 2—The Dreaming Crown: Strange ore, a psychic underclass, and delicate negotiations on a new world are all part of this adventure by Steve Kenson. Also suitable for starting characters. Green Ronin Online Store / DrivethruRPG
Chapter 3—The Soul Trade: It’s up to you to smash a soul-smuggling ring that takes you from an alternate Hong Kong on brink of apocalypse to a fallen Vladivostok on an Earth that’s been turned into a prison planet, courtesy of Neall Raemonn Price. Suitable for levels 5-8. Green Ronin Online Store / DrivethruRPG
Chapter 4—The Midnight Gold: Gamble with demons on a hell-plane of debt and industrial torment, courtesy of Crystal Frasier. Suitable for levels 9-12. Green Ronin Online Store / DrivethruRPG
Chapter 5—On the Threshold of Apocalypse: Explore Blattarum, the Netherworld of lost things—and undo the end of the world, of you’re willing to pay the price. The finale of the series, by Meghan Fitzgerald, for character levels 13-16. Green Ronin Online Store / DrivethruRPG

The Modern AGE Mastery Guide

We’ve been working on more than adventures, however. The major “core” release for 2021 will be the Modern AGE Mastery Guide. The Guide is a book for both Game Masters and other players, covering the following subjects:

The art of playing the game, given the same kind of coaching Game Masters normally enjoy, so that your group feels confident about having fun sessions in a safe environment.
New options for character creation, including using fewer abilities and focuses, implementing classes, and new rules for quirks and personality traits.
A detailed guide to using Modern AGE’s rules, above and beyond basic guidance. This includes official updates to the system.
Game Mastering and adventure design in depth.
Numerous new and optional systems for equipment, dramatic action, and more.

Modern AGE Powers

Not long ago I finalized the text for Modern AGE Powers, which is, to nobody’s surprise, a book about powers in Modern AGE. This is one I developed, but where Steve Kenson took the lead design reigns. This book expands upon existing treatments of powers and introduces new ones. It covers the following:

New backgrounds, professions, options, and powers for magic-using characters and psychics. Arcana trappings, places of power, and more await.
A revision and expansion of the systems in the Modern AGE Companion covering superhuman powers.
Using rituals to create your own variations on powers by combining them.
Thaumaturgy, the art of freeform power-making.
Game Mastering powers, including a selection of setting outlines to inspire you.
Dozens of extraordinary items with magical, psychic, technological, and enigmatic origins, as well as rules for artifacts, and their signature mix of powers and dooms.
A selection of technological and paranormal adversaries given detailed treatment in the Enemies & Allies

More?

This list omits a few projects I’m not ready to announce yet. One of them is so interesting I am tempted to break my rule on never announcing anything until I have final drafts in…but no. That tradition exists for a reason.