All posts by Ed Jowett

Consortium Expansion Spotlight: The Resistance – The Oracle

There are few things I enjoy more than a good underdog story and small bands of hopeful warriors fighting against the might of the powerfully corrupt are like music to my ears. That’s why today’s Consortium Expansion Spotlight is quite possibly my favorite topic; The Resistance.

If you’ve ever wanted to get down into the experience and really feel what it’s like to be a member of the Resistance then you’re going to want to follow this book closely. Written by Ed Jowett and the brilliant Steffie de Vaan (writer of no less than four Vampire books and a host of others!), this expansion will bring you everything Resistance related. So, what does it feature?

A complete picture of the Resistance’s full timeline
More stories to explain what they are doing during The Secret War, The Fifth Race, and A New Dawn
Descriptions of each of the influential units as well as their area of expertise
Subfactions within the Resistance which are touched on in the Core Rulebook
So much more!!

Join Keelaa, Steve Adams, and other great Resistance fighters as they work to bring down The Big Eight!

While you’re waiting for the Expansion event to begin, now would be a great time to check out our Patreon page where you can get new Consortium sessions every month. [ https://www.patreon.com/SoV ]

I’ll see you all next week for more news, sneak peeks and Kickstarter events so come back soon!
-A

#RPGaDay Challenge – Day Eighteen

Hi everyone!

My answer to the question today will come as a surprise to absolutely no-one, I think!

#RPGaDay 18: Which RPG have you played the most in your life?

Hands down, there’s only one answer: Era: The Consortium!

My first game, and its 5 content expansions, have taken a long time to develop, and a lot of play sessions to get right. I love this game through and through, though, and regret none of the time I’ve spent playing it!

Although I usually GM, I have recently had the chance to complete my set of Core Rulebook races: I’ve now played as each of a Human, Eulutian, Ximian and Vilithii in a campaign! I’ve not yet had the chance to play as a Pliangrathilon yet… but I’m looking forward to the opportunity before too much longer… hopefully before the other races become available!

Don’t forget that if you want to try out Era: The Consortium, you can get it for free here: https://www.era-games.com/product/era-consortium-quickstart-pack/

I’ll be back tomorrow with 19!

– Ed

#RPGaDay Challenge – Day Seventeen

Hi everyone!

I’m back to the standard questions today!

#RPGaDay 17: Which RPG have you owned the longest but not played?

I’m usually pretty good with this one! The last game I got which I’ve not yet played is the new Conan RPG by Modiphius! I was interested from the start and backed their Kickstarter, which did extremely well.

The game looks great and I can’t wait to get around to playing it! It’s just that I have so many things I’m currently developing and that means almost all of my slots are taken up with playtest sessions! I’ve recently been playing Era: The Consortium and Era: The Chosen, with an Era: The Empowered campaign beginning this weekend, so it’s really busy here!

– Ed

Just Days Left to get the Champion of Earth Expansion! – The Oracle

Thanks to everyone for helping the Champion of Earth; Robots and Cyborgs Expansion Kickstarter event reach over 100% funding! There’s still time to help push this project into a Stretch Goal so stop on by and encourage anyone you think would enjoy this fun fast-paced card game to come check us out as well.

[ https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/shadesofvengeance/champion-of-earth-robots ]

I’ve told you quite a bit about this game in the last few weeks but I can still hear you hemming and hawing. How do I play and is it really any fun? Well if you find yourself not quite certain if this game is for you then I challenge you to check out the Livestream that Ed put together. He uses the original core deck as well as the expansion cards to give you a real-time experience of what a session might be like. It’s definitely worth having a look!

[ https://youtu.be/bK_PCrTcU84 ]

Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.
— Carl Sagan

Did you know that this year marks the 40th anniversary of the Voyager Golden Records? Like a bottle thrown out to sea, the records are a message that have been sent out into space. To commemorate this achievement Kickstarter has established their Project of Earth initiative in order to encourage contemporary artists to participate in a “showcase of human imagination”.

Shades of Vengeance will be joining this fantastic effort by creating Era: Balam. In this game we find out what might happen when a probe lands on an alien planet with disastrous results! Ed is releasing a few images to get you excited for this project and I hope you’ll check back here to see more. This game will be released quite soon!

That’s it for me, see you on Saturday for Consortium news!
-A

#RPGaDay Challenge – Day Sixteen (Alternate)

Hi everyone!

As Day 16’s question is the opposite to Day 15’s, I’m doing another alternate question today!

#RPGaDay 16 (A): What would appear on an RPG book cover that would make you want to play it?

I thought this was a brilliant question. And I excluded the obvious, which would be the Era d10 logo! I never said I wasn’t biased!

I think a lot about this particular topic because I’m trying to get the people who, like me, will be interested in the games I’m making, to have exactly that reaction to a cover. I think the primary thing I’d be looking for is action, with a bit of mystery. I’ll also be looking out for some fantastic artwork quality – I don’t feel that games without it are bad necessarily, but it attracts the eye more!

Personally, I’d be attracted to a game which showed Sci-Fi elements on the cover, because I love Sci-Fi! Mythology would also work well also for me.

– Ed

Era: The Consortium “The Fifth Race” Expansion Released on DriveThruRPG!

Hi everyone!

I just wanted to let you know that the second expansion for Era: The Consortium, “The Fifth Race” has just been released on DriveThruRPG: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/218920/Era-The-Consortium–The-Fifth-Race

Of course, you can also pick it up on our Store, as well: https://www.era-games.com/store

The Fifth Race not only brings a brand new playable alien race to the Consortium – The Pliangrathilon (Plians for short!) – but also provides insight into the three years following the Core Rulebook’s history.

An alien ship crashing on Lugus, carrying a race who bring with them a mysterious prophecy… the uncovering of an advanced alien ruin beneath Sirona… new developments in weapons and technology, whose origin is unknown…

And, out there somewhere, “The Titans” are coming…

Find out the whole story with Era: The Consortium – The Fifth Race!

– Ed

#RPGaDay Challenge – Day Fifteen (Alternate)

Hi everyone!

As I said yesterday, I’m answering one of the alternate questions today, as I don’t really adapt RPGs very often!

#RPGaDay 15 (A): Campaigns: do you prefer set-length or open-ended play?

Personally, I prefer set-length campaigns, because I like to plan a storyline for the group which they will follow through slowly.

I usually set the length of a campaign at about 5 sessions for my regular group, because I find that after about that time, they are wanting to play something else. Now, at times, these sessions extend because they failed a mission or went off in a different direction – set-length should not also include railroading, in my opinion! – so it something goes to 6 or 7 sessions, but 5 sessions is about right for my group when planning a campaign.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed most of the Campaigns I’ve run in the past at this length, as it gives a chance for some build-up, some distraction, even a false enemy before revealing the truth of the plot and giving the players a final rush to the final climax!

At the end of the day, I love being a storyteller for an interactive story – I think that’s part of the reason I started creating the games in the first place!

See you tomorrow for #RPGaDay 16!

– Ed

#RPGaDay Challenge – Day Fourteen

Hi everyone!

I’m back with you for #RPGaDay 14! Tomorrow, I’m going to veer off the main sequence of questions and cover one of the alternates they offered this year! For today, however…

#RPGaDay 14: Which RPG do you prefer for open-ended campaign play?

I have enjoyed using Era: The Empowered for this purpose. The thing is that playing a villain-of-the-week story is fantastic for a bit of a palette cleanser, even between the different campaigns that I plan out for the players to face.

I think it’s very important to get something thematic to the genre when playing this sort of game, and this kind of story, when a new threat appears every session, feels like the right kind of thing for a game looking to reflect those animated series which were produced by Marvel and DC in the 90’s!

On the subject of Era: The Empowered, we’re just finishing off the rulebook (I actually received two stories from writers just today!) and hope to be releasing it soon. In the meantime, you can grab the Rulebook Primer if you can’t wait!

See you tomorrow!

– Ed

Champion of Earth Kickstarter Funded!

Hi everyone!

I’m pleased to announce that our Champion of Earth Kickstarter for the Robots and Cyborgs expansions deck is now Funded and moving onto Stretch Goals!

I hope you’ll consider joining us there: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/shadesofvengeance/champion-of-earth-robots

If you want to know more about the gameplay, please check out the Livecast I did yesterday, which featured me defending the Earth in a rather nail-biting game against the deck: https://live.kickstarter.com/shades-of-vengeance/live/ed-attempts-to-defend-the-earth

I’d like to take this chance to thank everyone for their support of the project. Please continue to spread the word to anyone you think might be interested!

– Ed

#RPGaDay Challenge – Day Thirteen

Hi everyone!

Today was an interesting trip down memory lane for #RPGaDay 13…

#RPGaDay 13: Describe an experience that changed how you play.

I have a few choices here, but as many people who have listened to interviews with me know how I became a GM, I thought I would tell a different story this time…

I played a Paranoia game while at university. This was some time after I GM’d for the first time, but I had not played much.
Most veteran players find that RPGs stop being a power trip at some point and become more about playing the character, doing things you would never do.

In this game, I was instructed, as my secret mission, to kill a prime number of troubleshooters without being exposed – specifically as high a prime number of troubleshooters as possible…

I am quite good at explaining my actions away in a character-plausible way and, as it happened, my character had super persuasion as a mutant ability. So I set about my work.

By the end of game debrief, I had been forced into killing one more than I had wanted, sitting at 14. With 17 quite a long way off, I did the only logical thing: I put my laser pistol to my head 3 times, eliminating troubleshooters!

I happened to have 4 clones remaining and I persuaded Friend Computer that the reason had been one of my previous clones had been so traitorous that my clone line had needed to remove all trace of him.

I totally got away with it!

It totally changed everything for me in the way I play – I didn’t need to be the most powerful character any more, I was fine to work as a team because I knew I could do it!
– Ed

Era: The Consortium – The Secret War Released on DriveThruRPG!

Hi everyone!

If you don’t yet have The Secret War, you can pick it up right now in Digital Format on DriveThruRPG! Check it out here: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/218919/Era-The-Consortium–The-Secret-War

Of course, you can also grab it (and all the other Consortium goodies!) on our own Store: https://www.era-games.com/store

In the Secret War, you can play as one of the elite agents of Hayden Bank – Shades – or of the Resistance – Phantoms.

Use new technology, fly a unique design of ship with stealth capabilities, activate new implants and control the direction of the Consortium…

– Ed

#RPGaDay Challenge – Day Twelve

Hi everyone!

Today, an artwork question!

#RPGaDay 12: Which RPG has the most inspiring interior art?

While I could talk about Era: The Consortium endlessly in this answer, because the artwork is truly incredible, thanks to the amazing Victor Adame Minguez. However, I am going to ignore this game for the purposes of this answer, because it is a bit too obvious.

Today, I am going to talk about an upcoming game that we are working on, which we currently refer to as Era: Legends. This is, in fact, the first announcement of the game!

Mon, the artist on this game, is a new addition to the team and has done a fantastic job so far with the interior artwork! I am sure you will agree:

Era: Legends will be coming out next year… and the best news is that every one of those images is a playable character!

– Ed

Consortium Expansion Spotlight: New Worlds – The Oracle

Today I get to share with you some details about our next Expansion book in the upcoming Kickstarter extravaganza. The first thing I want to share with you is that this book is written by Ed Jowett and Darren Watts. Darren is known for his work on the new Conan RPG as well as many other fabulous projects. We’re thrilled that he’s writing with us and can’t wait to see what he does!

As far as game play and additional material; this book is designed to offer players all the mechanics and equipment they will need for exploring brand new worlds! Let’s face it, one of the perks of playing a sci-fi game is the idea that you get to delve into never-before-seen realms. If you love finding unique territories and alien environments that this book is one you’ll want to check out. It will include a GM’s Guide for exploration encounters, a story sequence, and loads more.

The story isn’t just a simple setup to the game. It will also lead to a further expansion of the Consortium! The storyline will follow a small group of scavengers on the outskirts of the Damara system who accidentally encounter a wormhole. Now that they’ve made this discovery, what should they do?

You know the Big Eight are going to want to be involved in this historic find. If you’re wondering what this means for our small group of scavengers, I’ll tell you. They must now find a way to protect not only their investment but also their lives, and they’re going to have to do it fast.

You’ll have a chance to get this and all the other Expansion books from our upcoming Kickstarter so keep coming back for more details on what you can find!

Catch you next time!
-A

#RPGaDay Challenge – Day Eleven

Hi everyone!

How do you define a dead game?

I struggled with this #RPGaDay, if I am honest. My research showed me that Big Eyes Small Mouth technically counts, so does the Buffy game…

I did have a clear answer, though, in the end. Read on to find out more!

#RPGaDay 11: Which ‘dead game’ would you like to see reborn?

TSR’s Marvel Superheroes game, which is no longer in print.

Many of you will know that my team and I love superheroes and are working on our own game! The Marvel Superheroes game is one that we have used as a guideline several times in the creation of Era: The Empowered.

Personally, I think it is a shame that game is no longer really supported in an official capacity and I can only hope our attempt does a new superhero universe justice!

– Ed

#RPGaDay Challenge – Day Ten

Hi everyone!

I have more answers to today’s question that I really know how to fit in a reasonable length post, so I am choosing my top few.

#RPGaDay 10: Where do you go for RPG Reviews?

It depends what I am looking for, of course! However:

If I really want to know whether a game is worth buying, I hop on http://www.tinyurl.com/rpgnetchat and ask the guys there, who are both extremely helpful and very knowledgeable.

RPGKnights is one of my favourites. Mark has a way of penetrating to the theme of a game which I really find helpful.

Honourable mention to the guys at EntirePartyKilled, who I think do a good job, and Campaign Mastery, who I find to be very thorough in their work.

I would always recommend reviews on communities such as EnWorld, DriveThruRPG and RPG.net – people there tend to be very honest about what they feel works and what doesn’t.

If you are more partial to YouTube, I recommend both How to be a Great Game Master and RPG Relic Hunter!

Of course, there are loads of fantastic ones out there! What is your favourite?

– Ed

New Comic Book Details! – The Oracle

She’s tough, smart and more than most criminals can handle. Violete is the feature character for Era: The Empowered’s next comic book!

Violete is a hardworking hero. Not only does she keep up with her university studies and maintain her relationship with her parents, she also works diligently to root out the criminal element in her city. Using her visceral telekinetic gifts, which give her strength and flight, she manages to fight crime and yet still balance her life the best she can. For the most part, it’s been working…

However, this comic book deals with the result of her escalating attack on crime. When a small-time crook by the name of Dane becomes the deadly lizard-like villain, Rampage, with chameleon powers and a thirst for revenge, Violete must face the truth that her biggest challenge has only just begun. Instead of petty thieves, she must fight a serious adversary and along the way try to discover who was behind Dane’s incredible transformation.

Violete’s comic will be coming out in just a few weeks to Kickstarter so be sure to check back here so you don’t miss a minute of the action!
-A

#RPGaDay Challenge – Day Nine

Hi everyone!

#RPGaDay has been great fun for me so far! I hope you are all also enjoying the ride, along with learning some things about our selection of games!

#RPGaDay 9: What is a good RPG to play for about 10 sessions?

I would have to say that, if I had 10 sessions and I was unsure what to do with them, I would turn to the Era: The Consortium Time Travel Campaign, which I wrote with Graeme Penman.

These 10 sessions are divided into 2 sub-campaigns of 5 sessions each and, in them, you get to play 2 generations of the same family, trying to shape the society of the Consortium from its foundation to ensure that a mysterious, far-future cataclysm can be avoided.

It contains everything you need in a science fiction RPG: Time Travel, being out of place on a strange new world, building a community, strange and unexpected threats and a sense of inheriting a mission which is larger than yourself and your ability to complete.

It is great fun and I would have to highly recommend it!

– Ed

#RPGaDay Challenge – Day Eight

Hi everyone!

Short question subject, short answer today!

#RPGaDay 8: What is a good RPG to play for sessions of 2 hours or less?

I would have to say Era: Lyres is a brilliant candidate for that!

In Era: Lyres, you play as people who would never make it as adventurers… and it is too dangerous anyway! Instead, you tell stories at the tavern, in an effort to convince everyone that you are heroes who have braved the wilds, slain monsters and returned to tell the tale! It is a great game for a group which needs something to finish off an evening or to take a break between sessions – when I play it, most games last between 30 minutes and 2 hours.

See you again tomorrow!

– Ed

#RPGaDay Challenge – Day Seven

Hi everyone!

Today, for #RPGaDay, I am going to be talking about a session that some of you will have experienced and some of you may even have played with me GMing!

#RPGaDay 7: What was your most impactful session?

Era: The Consortium‘s very first campaign followed Stiletto Unit through some hard times. The discovery of anti-alien weapons, uncovering of a ruthless plot and prevention of the assassination of one of the leading aliens in the Consortium all took their toll.

They came through everything, began to feel invincible…

In the final session, they faced not a foe, but a choice. Together, they overcame the final obstacle.

The session itself was epic and impactful on a character level for everyone who played it. What it inspired – the creation of Era: The Consortium and, eventually, the rest of the games I have created – is nothing short of amazing.

I would once again like to thank Stiletto Unit’s original players… They showed me what was possible.

The Last Stand of Stiletto Unit is the climax of the Consortium’s 500-year history.

I will be back tomorrow with Question 8!

– Ed

#RPGaDay Challenge – Day Six

Hi everyone!

This is one of my favourite questions in the whole #RPGaDay month, so I am going to dive right in!

#RPGaDay 6: You can game every day for a week. Describe what you’d do!

If I had games and people for a week, I know exactly what I would do: I would run a 2-3 session campaign each day featuring a campaign from each of Era: The Consortium, Era: Cyberpunk, Era: Survival, Era: The Chosen, Era: The Empowered and Era: “High Fantasy” (yes, it needs a better name. I am worling on it!).

The final day would be a campaign where the surviving characters from all of the campaigns came together in the promised crossover between universes, combining their powers, abilities and experience to defeat a foe which threatened the entire universe!

I have been planning that one for quite a while…!

Would you play that campaign? 😀

– Ed

Consortium Expansion Spotlight: Predictive Genetic Algorithm – The Oracle

“It is easy, with the Consortium’s technology, to see genetically alter versions of the races present… or even to create entirely new species. That someone would use them as shock troops is… abhorrent, at best: created in a lab or not, these are Sentient Beings!”
– Gueya, CEO of Gaia Adaptation and Adjustment

This week I have the pleasure of introducing you to our second Consortium Expansion book in the upcoming Kickstarter release. Last week I showed you how fun piracy could be, today I’m going to convince you that gene modifications can also be fun.

Have you ever wondered what changing the boosts and penalties would do for a Ximian? Now you’ll have your chance to do just that and plenty more with the Predictive Genetic Algorithm book. This book will give you everything you need to mix, match, and create your very own alien races.

The Predictive Genetic Algorithm book uses specially designed rules to provide a framework that helps you invent new races! You will be able to add new abilities such as instant shapeshifting, racial memory, and many more. You can also explore new penalties such as Feared, along with adding some interesting features to your new alien, you can also adjust their basic stats.

The freedom to create is only limited by your own imagination! We’re going to give you all the tools you need to invent a well-balanced alien race of your own. What you do next is up to you…

That’s it for this week’s Consortium news. Head back here next week to catch a glimpse of what’s happening in the Consortium and all the other Shades of Vengeance worlds.
-A

#RPGaDay Challenge – Day Five

Hi everyone!

For the remainder of this month, I want to make a disclaimer! For the most part, I will be answering the question “Which of YOUR games…?”. I love every game that I have created and am, obviously, a little biased, so I am limiting the question to the 6 published Era Games, their expansions and the 5 underway projects which Shades of Vengeance has produced.

#RPGaDay 5: Which RPG cover best captures the spirit of the game?

Era: Lyres Pocket, I think. The idea of telling amazing stories about daring escapes from various types of monster is absolutely in keeping with what is shown on that cover!

You can grab Era: Lyres from our store [ https://www.era-games.com/product/era-lyres-pocket-edition-paperback/ ] right now!

– Ed

#RPGaDay Challenge – Day Four

Hi everyone!

Before I kick off #RPGaDay 4, I want to remind everyone that we actually have an active Kickstarter right now for Champion of Earth, with every chance of unlocking Expansions for our popular card game! Don’t forget to check it out: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/shadesofvengeance/champion-of-earth-robots

#RPGaDay 4: Which RPG have you played the most since August 2016?

That would be Era: The Consortium, but only by 2 sessions, with Era: Survival a close second! My Vilithii Psionic nutcase (testing out the A New Dawn expansion’s mechanics) was amazing fun and it was great to play for once – I usually am the GM!

See you tomorrow for another!

– Ed

Champion of Earth Livestream!

Hi everyone!

I just finished a Champion of Earth Livestream where I talked through all of the cards in the Robots and Cyborgs deck!

If you want to know more about the game, please feel free to watch the replay:
https://live.kickstarter.com/shades-of-vengeance/live/champion-of-earth-robots-expansion-deck

I talk about the contents of the Robots and Cyborgs deck, a little about the Core Deck and about the Kickstarter Exclusive Deck as well in this one!

Next week, on 13th August, I’ll be doing another Livestream, where I’ll be attempting to defeat all of the Aliens, Creatures, Undead and Robots! Join me at 9pm BST right here to laugh at my pathetic attempts to stand against the Alien Mothership, Vampires of all shapes and sizes and Godzilla!

https://live.kickstarter.com/shades-of-vengeance/live/ed-attempts-to-defend-the-earth

See you there!

– Ed

#RPGaDay Challenge – Day Three

Hi everyone!

Onto #RPGaDay 3! Please feel free to chime in yourselves or let me know if you have any questions, I’m always interested in what people want to see, for obvious reasons!

#RPGaDay 3: How do you find out about new RPGs?

Well, I’m part of a number of facebook groups which contain creators, which really helps, because they tend to spread the word in there pretty heavily!

For anyone else, I’d recommend RPG Kickstarter News: https://www.facebook.com/groups/430556803645272/ as well as keeping an eye on TGN: http://www.tabletopgamingnews.com/ and, of course, following the Shades of Vengeance Kickstarter account – https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/shadesofvengeance – because we’re always coming up with new games.

Era: Balam is our next offering. Inspired by the Voyager Probe, in an initiative that Kickstarter calls “Projects of Earth”, I think you’ll enjoy this space-based RPG where you climb into a group of fighters and explore a solar system. It will be available in about 4 weeks, so keep an eye out!

– Ed

Champion of Earth Expansion Is Here! – The Oracle

The wait is over and now is the perfect time to head over and check out the very first expansion for our Champion of Earth card game!

[ https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/shadesofvengeance/champion-of-earth-robots ]

Let me start by telling you what we’ve added to this already fun game. Through this Kickstarter expansion we’re offering a whole new set of enemies for you to test your mettle. The aliens from your first encounters have made a deal with some devious robots and cyborgs to help destroy humanity. While they’re plotting to overthrow the world It’s your job to save Earth at all costs!

The benefits to supporting this game are plenty and I’ll give you a quick rundown of what you can expect to find. First and foremost is, of course, our sincere gratitude but you’ll also get:

Limited Edition physical decks with extra monsters and bonus equipment
Digital decks
Physical decks signed by the creator
The Original Core Deck

There are also some fabulous items that can be unlocked through Stretch Goals such as:

Ancient Robot card
Catapult Robot card
Three Laws equipment card
Dinosoids Expansion
Demons Expansion
Mystery Expansion

This game has been a fan favorite from the start and the expansion is coming to you ahead of our regular schedule because of its unusually high demand. Ed and the team have worked hard to create more unique content that slots in perfectly with the original game and we really think you’re going to love it!

I’ll be back Saturday with an expansion spotlight for Consortium but until then, have fun and keep rolling!
-A

#RPGaDay Challenge – Day Two

Hi everyone!

Today, you’ll find my answer to the #RPGaDay 2 not only right here, but also in various other places, as I was asked to answer this one for Angus Abranson!

#RPGaDay 2: What is an RPG you’d like to see published?

I would love to see an officially licensed Final Fantasy game. Final Fantasy is the defining game of a genre for me – it is the first game of its type that I played and it opened my eyes to a new kind of story, which I had never really encountered before.

Mechanically, each game in the series has had its own quirks and uniqueness and I think the ability to choose which version to play in any given campaign is a very appealing one!

Unfortunately, the copyright owner is very unlikely to license it, so it may be something that never happens!
Well, I’m actually working on the next best thing – I’m current working on a project which can’t be talked about too much, but should provide a little bit of what I’m talking about there, if you’re someone agreeing with me! Watch this space…

– Ed

Champion of Earth Robots and Cyborgs Kickstarter Launched!

Hi everyone!

I’ve just launched a brand new Kickstarter for the first Champion of Earth expansion, Robots and Cyborgs: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/shadesofvengeance/champion-of-earth-robots

This expansion brings a new type of enemy (Robots) and a brand new array of weapons to fight them with. It also provides a 7th hero for the game, giving you not only even more choice, but the chance to field even more heroes against the Aliens!

We hope you’ll join us in Defending the Earth!

– Ed

#RPGaDay Challenge – Day One

Hi everyone!

I’ve decided to do the #RPGaDay challenge this month! I did it last year and had a lot of fun, so here we go…

#RPGaDay 1: Which published RPG do you wish you were playing right now?

Well, that’s an easy one – I’ve not had the chance to play a game of Era: The Consortium in quite some time!

I’m a Sci-Fi guy, as most people who know me are aware, and I’ve been running and playing Sci-Fi games for longer than anything else (Traveller and Paranoia were my first RPG experiences!). While I love playing other games, especially ones I created, I always find myself yearning back towards Consortium. Whenever I slip into the role of a character in that universe, I always have a fantastic time!

Well, that was easy! Let’s see what Day 2 brings…

– Ed

Era: The Consortium Consortium Expansions – Spotlight on “Free Trader” – The Oracle

In the run-up to our second Consortium Expansion Kickstarter I’ll be sharing some in-depth information regarding each of the books you can expect to find available. Today’s spotlight will be on one of the most asked-for expansions: Free Trader.

So, let’s start with the basics…

What does it offer?

the ability to carry cargo
information on the specified Cargo Capacities for ships
sale prices for a huge variety of goods for each Hardcastle Haulage Cargo Station in the Consortium!

This means that you can now run shipments to any of the most popular Consortium destinations with all the latest and greatest cargo made by Big Eight companies.

For those of you in the audience with a mischievous eye you’ll already have put it together that where there’s cargo travelling from place to place there’s also something else… pirates!

This brings me to my second Free Trader detail:

What are the new rules?

Everything you need to know for:

Piracy
Commandeering cargo
Boarding a ship
Disabling a ship

These are the two biggest additions that you’re going to find within the Free Trader book: the ability to haul cargo and the rules regarding how to take it away!

But, that’s not all you’re going to find inside this expansion. It wouldn’t be a Shades of Vengeance book if we didn’t give you a whole host of world building material as well.

What additional world details will there be?

station details for each of the Haulage locations in orbit of every planet (more than one, in most cases)
details about the unique local populations for each station
a new story for each station
an image for many of the stations

This book is going to allow you to expand your gaming world exponentially and give you the tools you’ll need to run some fantastic sessions. Stick with me and I’ll introduce you to more of the Expansion titles you can expect to find in our upcoming Consortium Kickstarter!

See you next week!
-A