Book picks similar to
Numenera Ninth World Guidebook by Monte Cook
rpg
roleplaying
rpgs
gaming
Star Wars: Imperial Sourcebook
Greg Gorden - 1989
Outnumbered and outgunned, the Rebellion nevertheless burns across a thousand-thousand worlds, flaming into a fire of hope.But the Emperor has ordered this fire extinguished, setting the massive war machine he had constructed into motion.
Microscope
Ben Robbins - 2011
Want to explore an epic history of your own creation, hundreds or thousands of years long, all in an afternoon? That's Microscope.You won't play the game in chronological order. You can defy the limits of time and space, jumping backward or forward to explore the parts of the history that interest you. Want to leap a thousand years into the future and see how an institution shaped society? Want to jump back to the childhood of the king you just saw assassinated and find out what made him such a hated ruler? That’s normal in Microscope.You have vast power to create... and to destroy. Build beautiful, tranquil jewels of civilization and then consume them with nuclear fire. Zoom out to watch the majestic tide of history wash across empires, then zoom in and explore the lives of the people who endured it.Mock chronological order.Defy time and space.Build worlds and destroy them.A role-playing game for two to four players. No GM. No prep."Microscope is incredible! A truly brilliant design. Also, the book is extremely well done. Highly recommended."-John Harper, designer of Agon & Danger Patrol"Ben Robbins' Microscope may be the clearest-written game text I've ever read - which is helpful, because it is also one of the most innovative games I've come across in a long time. Microscope engagingly challenges assumptions and upends long-held conventions of play while delivering a singular and satisfying evening of gaming. And "fractal role playing" is no joke - the minute you finish, you'll want to dive back in and explore some interesting sliver of the vast history you just built."-Jason Morningstar, designer of Fiasco"It's been a long time that a game captures my attention like Microscope. Bypass the hype, it's a truly remarkable well-instruction'd game"-Andy Kitkowski, founder of story-games.com
The SF Collection
Richard K. Morgan - 2013
Dick award and was optioned by Hollywood. He followed this up with two further novels continuing the adventures of Takeshi Kovacs - BROKEN ANGELS and WOKEN FURIES. He also wrote two further standalone SF novels, MARKET FORCES and BLACK MAN (which won the Arthur C. Clarke award).All five of these novels are collected here as the perfect introduction to Richard's work, or a welcome reminder of his power as a writer. Richard has also written two computer games (CRYSIS 2 and SYNDICATE), comics for MARVEL and is currently working on a fantasy trilogy comprising OF THE STEEL REMAINS, THE COLD COMMANDS, THE DARK DEFILES.
Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and the People Who Play It
David M. Ewalt - 2013
Even if you’ve never played Dungeons & Dragons, you probably know someone who has: The game has had a profound influence on our culture. Released in 1974—decades before the Internet and social media—Dungeons & Dragons is one of the original ultimate nerd subcultures, and is still revered by more than thirty million fans. Now, the authoritative history and magic of the game is revealed by an award-winning journalist and life-long dungeon master.From its origins on the battlefields of ancient Europe, through the hysteria that linked it to satanic rituals and teen suicides, and to its apotheosis as father of the modern video game industry, Of Dice and Men recounts the development of a game played by some of the most fascinating people in the world. Chronicling the surprising history of D&D’s origins (one largely unknown even to hardcore players) while examining the game’s profound impact, Ewalt weaves laser-sharp subculture analysis with his own present-day gaming experiences. An enticing blend of history, journalism, narrative, and memoir, Of Dice and Men sheds light on America’s most popular (and widely misunderstood) form of collaborative entertainment.
Unknown Armies
Greg Stolze - 1999
Completely reorganized, largely rewritten, and jam-packed with new art, the second edition of Unknown Armies isn't just better. It kicks metaphysical ass! We've remixed the book based on the level of campaign you want to play: Street, Global, or Cosmic. At street level, you're outsiders to the secret world of magick, ordinary people entering a land of mystery and peril. At global level, you're mojo-wielding cabalists in the occult underground, pursuing your arcane agendas and plotting against your rivals. At cosmic level, you're in tune with the cosmos itself, fighting to shape the next incarnation of reality. Background material is divided up as well, so new players in a street-level campaign only read what the GM wants them to know. But the beats don't stop there: Much more information for new players, to get them into the mindset of the game and help them make better characters and stronger campaigns. * New character-creation options, including Trigger Events, Paradigm Skills, and power levels scaled to match the level of campaign you're playing. * Numerous rules tweaks, including a new initiative system, Fuzzy Logic skill checks, player-directed combat modifiers, amped-up martial arts rules, a new experience system, and more, all dedicated to upgrading UA's innovative percentile system into a lean and precise tool for fast play and player empowerment. * More magick for non-adepts: Authentic Thaumaturgy, new rituals and artifacts, and revised versions of Proxy Magick and Tilts allow the freewheeling use of symbolic, sympathetic magick by anyone with the will to make it happen. * Twelve schools of magick (up from seven in UA1) for obsessed adepts, including revised versions of published schools (Bibliomancy, Personamancy, and Urbanomancy) and two new schools (Videomancy and Narcotic Alchemy). * Fourteen avatars (up from eight in UA1) for archetypalists, including revised versions of published avatars (The Messenger, The Mother, The Mystic Hermaphrodite, and the True King) and two new avatars (The MVP and The Warrior). * More resources for the GM, including specific guidance on combat, wounds, skill checks, campaign building, and other critical issues. * New cover art and design, new interior art and design, and a hardcover binding to keep this game in line.
7th Sea Core Rulebook
John WickShen Fei - 2016
Players take the roles of heroes thrown into global conspiracies and sinister plots, exploring ancient ruins of a race long vanished and protecting the rightful kings and queens of Theah from murderous villains.Save the Queen of Avalon from treacherous blackmail!Thwart a dastardly assassination attempt on the Cardinal of Castille!Raid the villainous fleets of Vodacce Merchant Princes!Free the Prince of the Sarmatian Commonwealth from a mysterious curse!Make decisions that alter the very course of Thean history!In 7th Sea, you are a Hero, an icon of Theah ready to live and die for causes that matter. You bravely take on a dozen thugs with swords, knives and guns all on your own. You are the trusted knight, a loyal bodyguard or even an adventuring queen herself.In other words—you are d’Artagnan, Milady de Winter, the Dread Pirate Roberts, Jack Sparrow, Julie d’Aubigney, and the Scarlet Pimpernel all rolled up in one!This is a game of high adventure, mystery and action. This is a game of intrigue and romance.This is 7th Sea.
Heroes Unlimited
Alex Marciniszyn - 1994
Trade Paperback. Book Condition: Good. The cover does show some normal wear. Fraying on lamenation along edges of front and back cover.
The Walk Up Nameless Ridge
Hugh Howey - 2012
Many have tried. All have failed.This climbing season finds three teams making their bid up this murderous peak. And one man among them will discover these ugly truths: There are fates worse than death. There are fates worse than obscurity. To be remembered forever can be its own curse.
Tome and Blood: A Guidebook to Wizards and Sorcerers (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.0 Fantasy Roleplaying)
Bruce R. Cordell - 2001
It's packed with ways to customize sorcerer and wizard characters, including:New feats, spells, and magic items. New prestige classes, including the dragon disciple, fatespinner, and pale master. Information about special organizations such as the Broken Wands and the Arcane Order. Maps of a mages' guildhall and a home that a sorcerer and a wizard share. Tome and Blood is indispensable to players and Dungeon Masters who want to add a new dimension to sorcerers and wizards.To use this accessory, a Dungeon Master also needs the Player's Handbook, the Dungeon Master's Guide, and the Monster Manual. A player needs only the Player's Handbook.
Star Wars Roleplaying Game Saga Edition Core Rulebook
Christopher Perkins - 2007
Immerse yourself in the excitement of the greatest space fantasy of all time!This new edition of the
Star Wars
Roleplaying Game encapsulates all six feature films while presenting a thorough revision of the rule, making the game easier to learn while improving the overall game experience.This new edition includes new character abilities and options, a world gazetteer, statistics for key characters from all six
Star Wars
films and the Expanded Universe, and guidelines on how to use
Star Wars
miniatures and battle maps in play.
Tales from the Loop: Roleplaying in the '80s That Never Was
Nils Hintze - 2017
The facility was complete in 1969, located deep below the pastoral countryside of Mälaröarna. The local population called this marvel of technology The Loop.Acclaimed scifi artist Simon Stålenhag’s paintings of Swedish 1980s suburbia, populated by fantastic machines and strange beasts, have spread like wildfire on the Internet. Stålenhag’s portrayal of a childhood against a backdrop of old Volvo cars and coveralls, combined with strange and mystical machines, creates a unique atmosphere that is both instantly recognizable and utterly alien.Now, for the first time, YOU will get the chance to step into the amazing world of the Loop. With your help, we will be able to create a beautiful printed RPG book about the Tales from the Loop.This game is our third international RPG, after the critically acclaimed Mutant: Year Zero and Coriolis - The Third Horizon. The lead writer is the seasoned Swedish game writer Nils Hintze, backed up by the entire Free League team who handle project management, editing, and graphic design.Additional writing in the game will be done by the award-winning and best-selling game writer and author Matt Forbeck, with twenty-seven novels and countless games published to date. Matt will be writing the alternative US campaign setting (read more below).All art in the game is of course done by Simon Stålenhag himself. Most of the art will be drawn from the pages of the Tales from the Loop artbook - many scenarios in the game are based directly on illustrations in the artbook - but the RPG will contain some new original art as well, including the cover image.
All Flesh Must Be Eaten
Al Bruno - 2003
In it, you will find: Eleven different Deadworld settings allowing customization of the storyline. A comprehensive zombie creation system to surprise and alarm players. A list of equipment crucial to surviving a world of shambling horrors. Detailed character creation rules for Norms, Survivors, and the Inspired. A full exposition of the Unisystem game rules, suitable for any game in any time period. Open Game License conversion text for porting AFMBE to any modern-day campaign featuring a twenty-sided dice game mechanic.
Cyberpunk: The Roleplaying Game of the Dark Future
Mike Pondsmith - 1988
On the street, Boostergangs roam a shattered urban wilderness, killing and looting. The rest of the world is a perpetual party as fashion-model beautiful techies rub biosculpt jobs with battle armored road warriors in the hottest clubs, sleaziest bars and meanest streets this side of the Postholocaust. The future never looked so bad. But you can change it. You’ve got interface plugs in your wrists, weapons in your arms, lasers in your eyes, bio-chip programs screaming in your brain. You’re wired in, cyberenhanced and solid state as you take it to the fatal Edge where only the toughest and the coolest can go. Cyberpunk: the original roleplaying game of the dark future; a world of corporate assassins, heavy-metal heroes and brain burning cyberhackers, packed with cutting edge technology and intense urban action. Within this box, [sic] you’ll find everything you need to tackle the mean streets of the 2000’s = in a game system that combines the best in realistic action and playability. Compatible with Cyberpunk 1.0