Cryptomancer – Land of NOP LLC (Available Now)
From Land of NOP:
Cryptomancer is a tabletop role-playing game made for hackers, by hackers. It features an original fantasy setting and gameplay informed by diverse security disciplines: information security, physical security, intelligence analysis, clandestine tradecraft, and risk management. Players assume the role of characters on the run from a shadowy organization that rules the world through mass surveillance, propaganda, and political coercion.
- Explore a rich fantasy setting connected by the Shardscape, the magical equivalent of the Internet
- Attack and defend fantasy networks built upon real networking and cryptography principles
- Build up your safehouse and manage covert cells of spies, scouts, political agitators, and assassins
- Customize your character with dozens of talents and spells emphasizing stealth, deception, and creative problem-solving
Kill all the orcs, hack all the things!
Cryptomancer takes place in a fantasy setting very similar to most fantasy settings you are accustomed to. This was by design. We kept things simple so gamers both seasoned and new can jump right in and start hacking things. We have made some subtle tweaks to fantasy norms, based on what we think fantasy races would look like in a connected fantasy world.
Same Roll, No Matter What
When a player has her character do something that is dramatic (that is, the outcome matters to the story), that player will probably have to chuck some dice, the results of which will determine the severity of that the character’s success or failure. We call this a skill-check. Of course, skill-checks manifest in many ways:
- Unopposed skill-check (Alice jumps over obstacle)
- Opposed skill-check (Alice hits Bob in the face)
- Opposed skill-check versus a group (Alice chucks a fireball at multiple orcs)
- Simultaneous opposed skill checks (Alice and Bob arm-wrestle)
- Simultaneous unopposed skill checks (Alice and Bob are in a race).
Luckily, we keep things simple… no matter the circumstances, an action is Trivial, Challenging, or Tough. That is all that matters.
Hi Jeff, a couple of months ago I released a new sci-fi RPG which was successfully kickstarted earlier this year – Starguild: Space Opera Noir. About 190 backers have copies, and I’ve had great feedback from them, but as a single person outfit with his first publication, I’ve not been able to get that much exposure for it.
I’ve included a link to the Drive Thru Rpg page for it in the ‘website’ link in this comment, although if you think it would be interesting enough to have a look at in more detail, I’d happily send you a complimentary pdf.
Other information about it is on the starguildrpg.com website too.
I hope you don’t mind me posting this, but you did ask if there were other lesser known RPGs which might benefit from some love 🙂
Cheers
Hi Alex,
By all means, shoot me an email to [email protected] and I’d be happy to peek at Star Guild.