Ten New/Upcoming RPGs Worthy of Your Attention in Late 2016

The Dark Eye 5th Edition – Ulisses Spiele (Available Now)

I always love when popular foreign language roleplaying games make their way to the English reading public. The Dark Eye has been the RPG German gamers have turned to for over thirty years and boasts a community of hundreds of thousands of players; the largest of any European roleplaying game. The Dark Eye setting is that of a low magic and fairly realistic medieval world as opposed to one of high fantasy. The fifth edition (created with the help of gamers throughout Europe) was released in German, by Ulisses Spiele, in 2015 and the English translation recently appeared by way of an immensely successful Kickstarter.

This is another recent RPG which is practically a steal on DriveThruRPG; the 416 page PDF can be had for only $19.99. I can certainly say, from the snippets I’ve seen, the book and presentation look stunning.

From Ulisses Spiele:

The Dark Eye is a fantasy roleplaying game wherein you and your friends play the leading roles at the center of heroic action. Travel the land as a virtuous knight, elven ranger, or erudite mage. Rebuild the war weary Middenrealm, marvel at exotic wonders in the Lands of the Tulamydes, discover lost ruins in the steaming jungles of the South, or try to drive back the evil of the Shadowlands. Rescue innocent victims from the cult of the Nameless One, navigate labyrinthine plots and intrigues at the Court of the Empress, or stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the brave defenders of the border cities to repel the ever-growing Orc Storm. Experience the breadth of Aventuria, The Dark Eye’s immersive fantasy world crafted by those who grew up steeped in medieval lore amid ancient forests, forbidding mountains, and fairy-tale castles.

The Core Rules presents all of The Dark Eye’s refined, time-tested game system. Character experience earns additional skills, new spells, and special fighting styles to face ever greater challenges. To get started, all you need is pen and paper, dice, and this book. Build the characters you want to play, or choose from a large selection of customizable character archetypes.

Enter the classic, fantastic world of The Dark Eye. Glory and adventure await!

The Dark Eye is rich, complete, and incredibly real! 

Aventuria is a vast and detailed continent and a world in need of heroes. The heart of Aventuria is the Middenrealm, an empire nominally ruled by the young Empress Rohaja but in reality controlled by powerful regional lords and ladies. It is a land where knights and daring heroes fight for the order of the gods and grim dwarves delve their mines and subterranean cities deep in the mountains. 

Some years ago, human servants of the dreaded archdemons conquered a province of the Middenrealm. Now called the Shadowlands, this haunted realm is home to demon summoners and necromancers. The Middenrealm remains ever vigilant for signs that the armies of the Shadowlands are once again on the move. 

The progressive Horasian Empire, home to artists and poets, lies south of the Middenrealm. The cities of this fertile land are ruled by patricians, nobles, and councilors who strive constantly to outdo or weaken their rivals via intrigue. 

The orcs of Aventuria make their home in the Orclands, steppes that stretch along the northwestern border of the Middenrealm. 

Thorwal lies west of the Orclands. The Thorwalers are brave seafarers who enjoy a reputation as feared pirates. Emboldened by their whale-god, Swafnir, the longboats of the Thorwalers threaten much of the western coast of Aventuria. 

Further south lies the Empire of Al’Anfa. Its capital of the same name, called the Boil of the South by some, is a city of decadence and intrigue where a stranger’s life is worth only what it can fetch in the slave markets. 

Novadi tribes rule the huge Khôm Desert that lies east of the Horasian Empire, beyond the mountains. Even further east, sultans and emirs rule over the Lands of the Tulamydes.

The northern forests and steppes surrounding the Salamander Stones are the traditional homelands of the elves. Beloved for their beauty and grace but feared for their sometimes cruel treatment of invaders, elves are magical beings who seem to be born from light.

The Dark Eye derives its name from the most intriguing magical artifacts in Aventuria—the Dark Eyes. These rare and powerful magical items allow users to view far away places and glimpse scenes from the distant past. Creating such an artifact calls for very powerful magic and a sizable quantity of raw meteoritic iron. Few spellcasters have ever mastered the necessary enchantments. When completed successfully, the iron assumes the form of an orb or an eye.

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Jeff McAleer

Founder/Editor-in-chief of The Gaming Gang website and host of The Gaming Gang Dispatch and other TGG media, Jeff tackles any and all sorts of games but has a special fondness for strategy, conflict sims, and roleplaying games. Plus, he's certainly never at a loss for an opinion...

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