[New Release] Court of Shadows for Shadowrun 5th Edition

Shadowrun Court of Shadows Cover Art

Today, I am pleased to announce that Court of Shadows, a brand new setting for Shadowrun 5th Edition, is now available in PDF. The print edition will be out in August, and there’s a possibility Catalyst Game Labs will have this supplement for the show. I co-designed the setting with Jason Hardy for this supplement, and contributed a huge chunk of the writing, too. I hope you enjoy this new and mysterious look into the realm of the fae!

The Falling Dream

You have seen it. You have felt it. The dream where you are falling, falling, and you cannot see the ground but you know it is there waiting. You may try to brace yourself, you may try to force yourself awake—you do anything to avoid the impact that keeps rushing toward you.

The Seelie Court is the realm of the hidden, the rumored, and the unknown. Fairies, spirits, and enchanted creatures mingle there, building alliances, plotting, scheming, toying with the realm of humans—and with each other. The Court has long held a distant attachment to the material plane, influencing it like a dream influences our waking hours. But now a new connection has emerged, allowing humans to infiltrate the courts and influence its proceedings. At a time when magical power is ever in the rise, the mix of human and fae could set both worlds into a calamitous plunge, and no one will want to be awake when they hit bottom.

Court of Shadows is an alternate setting for Shadowrun 5th Edition, emphasizing the magic and intrigue of the Seelie Court. With full setting, character, and plot details, as well as information on using SR5 characters in the Seelie Court, this book presents all-new ways to play Shadowrun and to live in the mystical intrigue of the planes of fairy, capturing the magic of the dream world—and seeing if they can prevent its fall.

Court of Shadows is for use with Shadowrun 5th Edition.

New Release: Ghouls & Revenants for Vampire: The Masquerade

Ghouls & Revenants

Today, I am pleased to announce the release of Ghouls & Revenants for Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition.

By Blood It Is Done

Bound by their masters’ blood, ghouls serve the undead and fight their battles in the shadows. Dragged, seduced, or forced into the night, ghouls live at the whims of their masters–for better or for worse.

By Blood It Is Made Anew

Revenants are twisted and unique. They have vampiric powers and extended life, as well as a form of the Beast all their own. Crafted by blending ghouls with dark magic, Revenants have become something else altogether.

Ghouls & Revenants includes:

  • Expanded and revised character creation for ghoul and revenant player-characters
  • Clan and Sect write-ups for ghouls who serve them
  • New revenant families including the Rossellini, Kairouan Brotherhood, and more.
  • New rules to play ghouls and revenants including new Merits & Flaws, Backgrounds, Discipline Packages, etc.
  • A Storyteller chapter for advice on running ghoul-or-revenant focused chronicles.
  • …and more!

I hope you enjoy this nuanced perspective on ghouls and revenants for Vampire: The Masquerade!

New Release: Dark Eras and Hunter’s “Doubting Souls” set in Salem

Dark Eras

I am pleased to announce that Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras, a book that spans multiple eras for the Chronicles of Darkness game lines, is now available. As the Kickstarter text explained, the Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras starts out presenting a chapter for each of nine historical eras. The sections were written for the currently available edition of the game line, but they are designed to be usable with any edition. Each terrifying time period and location is examined through the supernatural creatures that dwell there, and my section is:

Hunter: The Vigil — Doubting Souls (1690-1695): Immigrants and tribes struggle to co-exist on the eastern seaboard. Violent clashes, supernatural beliefs, and demonic influences spell disaster for Salem Village and its surrounding towns, while other hunters fight werewolves and vampires on the frontier. With so much at risk, only god-fearing men and women are deemed innocent — and those are few indeed. Monica Valentinelli writer & Matt McElroy developer.

“Doubting Souls” is, in many ways, my commentary on the Salem Witch Trials; the chapter primarily focuses on the gut-wrenching decisions hunters have to make and how they are caught up in the hysteria. It also, however, offers possibilities for other styles of play and expands the setting a bit so we’d hit as many notes as possible within the confines of this tightly-woven section. There are opportunities to explore multiple locations, including Boston and Ipswich, and new compacts are offered as well. Since offering the first draft to fans, there have been some additions and expansions to the chapter, and we added additional reference materials to highlight our research, too.

Though this Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras chapter, in no way shape or form, could ever replace a set of modern history books on the time period, I feel very strongly about the necessity of research; I hope that you will notice this effort reflected in how we put together this alternate history perspective. “Doubting Souls” is a depiction of a world in the 1690s that’s slightly different from this reality–but much, much darker…especially for hunters of all types.

I hope that fans will enjoy “Doubting Souls” for Hunter: The Vigil, and I encourage you to check out the other chapters, too! Huzzah!

[New Release] Firefly: The Gorramn Shiniest Language Guide and Phrasebook in the ‘Verse

Gorramn Dictionary

Insult your enemies in magnificent style and learn brand new declarations of love! This comprehensive Firefly language guide and phrasebook takes in both the history of language in the ‘Verse and modern usage. Explore the cast’s challenges with Mandarin, get the inside scoop from the show’s language consultant, and learn everything from proverbs to put-downs! A must-have for all Browncoats.

You’ve heard me talking about this book before, but the big gorramn day is finally here. It’s the Firefly: The Gorramn Shiniest Language Guide and Phrasebook in the ‘Verse release day! Check out the reviews from ICV2.com and the San Francisco Book Review.

The book is a hardcover, fully-illustration reference guide that provides fans with an overview of the language. Words and their definitions relate to setting material found in the Firefly TV show. When I was selecting the words I paid careful attention to specific words and names, but I also chose common words and slang to paint a picture of the ‘Verse. The spelling variations I found during my analysis are also included as well. Members of the main cast, along with tips on how to speak like them, are each featured on their own page.

Additionally, we had the pleasure of featuring Jenny Lynn who was the show’s translator. You’ll get to read a fantastic interview, and dive into all of the English-to-Chinese translations from the show.

I hope you enjoy the latest addition to the Firefly universe. This project was a lot of fun for me, and I hope I get to do more of them. Shiny!

[New Games Release] Codex Infernus: The Savage Guide to Hell

Codex Infernus

I had the pleasure of helping develop the game world for Codex Infernus: The Savage Guide to Hell, which is a book about adventuring in a hell for the Savage Worlds system.

A holy warrior fighting back infernal beasts on the precipice of a fiery pit. Cloaked figures chanting an incantation to bring forth a nameless beast. A man standing at a crossroads bartering with a demonic temptress for fame and fortune; the price of which is his very soul.

Advisers to kings and queens, dictators and presidents, whispering lies at the behest of their demon lords with the fate of nations resting on whether or not the advice is heeded. A scientist examining a strange artifact found on a distant planet that, unbeknownst to him, opens a mysterious gate to a nightmarish dimension when a button is pushed.

These are just a sampling of the myriad images which come to mind when we think of Hell. Codex Infernus: The Savage Guide to Hell, brings those images to life and shows you how to plug them into your games, regardless of what genre you love to play!

Codex Infernus: The Savage Guide to Hell is now available for download on DriveThruRPG.com.

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