lawrence.whitaker

Bas-Lag was originally picked-up by Adamant Entertainment, and they were considering BRP as the core system. They never developed the property though, and I believe China Mieville is pursuing discussions with another company.

French, German and now Spanish.

We're delighted to announce that The Design Mechanism has agreed a license for a Spanish edition of Mythras with 77mundos. The company will start with the core rules, and swiftly follow with Monster Island. Both books will hopefully be available by Christmas, and 77mundos intends to produce more translations from the Mythras catalogue, as well as look to produce original content in Spanish. Please join with us in congratulating 77mundos - we look forward to working with them, and are excited to see this new edition for our wonderful Spanish-speaking fans! Lawrence

The world's first quantum G+ community.

Anyone have any idea where the BRP G+ Community has gone? It appears to have disappeared into thin aether.

As it's the longest day of the year, and because we've been a bit quiet recently, we thought we'd share a snapshot of some of the things lying around on the Design Mechanism desk... Rampant speculation is, indeed, encouraged.Happy Solstice, everyone.

Not at all. 😊

You'd be correct. Many years ago, before Elric! was released, there was a Sorcerer's Isle book planned. I worked on it with Richard Watts and Mark Morrison, and 'Madness...' was written as a gateway adventure for getting the characters to the island. Things changed, Stormbringer became Elric!, and the Sorcerer's Isle book was dropped. I decided to resurrect the adventure as a generic S&S scenario a couple of years ago. But yes, Loric Nygh is Cran Liret, and the Ciirt are the Kretii.

As the Gods of Game Balance, our view is this... If you feel that magic using characters have an advantage over other characters, by all means give the non-magic using characters some extra skill points to compensate. Your calculation of how skill points, based on the Experience Roll cost for learning spells, seems fair and equitable. Conversely, you may not wish to give magic using characters any spells at all, and have them earn them in-game. It's up to you. The advice on page 118 above 'Starting Magic' makes it clear that, if magic forms a part of the campaign, access to it deserves some forethought - and starting spells should form part of this forethought. What the rules offer is a default position; it's by no means the right one for every campaign or every play style. YMYM: Your Mythras is Your Mythras.

Part of the reason why Mythras/RQ6 doesn't use the RQG Strike Rank approach (and we did consider it), is that the game treats weapon length differently mechanically, decoupling it from the initiative process, and placing greater emphasis on it's tactical deployment to hold opponents at bay (or get inside weapon reach, if one has a small weapon). It does still rely on DEX and INT as active factors in the initiative cycle though.

The title is to be decided, but it's a wonderfully evocative mini-campaign located in the fenlands between Elmet and MIerce, where there's a curious assembly of Britons, Saxons, and Roman--Britons all scheming against each other. It has a deeply mystical element that draws heavily on the ancient Saxon and Celtic mythology of that region, and it oozes with atmosphere. It also slots very neatly into any MB campaign, whether Briton or Saxon-focused, and will provide adventures for quite a few sessions. It's also by Mark Shirley, so you know it's going to be good.

Mythic Greece isn't finished yet. We currently have Mythics Britain, Rome and Constantinople in print. Mythic Britain has the Logres supplement available for it, focusing on the Saxon lands, and we've just taken delivery of a manuscript for terrific scenario pack for Mythic Britain set in the fenlands. For 2019, we're hoping to have Mythics Greece and Babylon available. And we're always interested in more historical areas to explore.

Oh, before that.

So that we comply with the GDPR, we've created an opt-in newsletter so that you can tell us that you actively want to receive information from time to time on new releases, promotions, general news, and so on. You can opt out at any time, and you have our firm guarantee that we do not share, sell or trade your contact details with anyone else.The link is below, and we look forward to welcoming you to the Design Mechanics team!https://mailchi.mp/83c3eb6dab02/the-design-mechanism-news

There's just over 48 hours left for the extraordinary Mythras Bundle of Holding! (http://bundleofholding.com/presents/Mythras). The offer ends at 10pm Eastern Standard time on Monday, May 7. Our nominated charity is the Electronic Frontier Foundation. If you've already taken advantage of the Bundle, then please accept this as our sincere Thank You. We hope you're enjoying Mythras, and we welcome you wholeheartedly to the Design Mechanism community. But if you haven't got the bundle yet... This means it's your last chance to take advantage of this superb collection. Even if you have the Mythras rules, the Bundle's Starter Collection includes Classic Fantasy and three scenarios, with the Bonus Collection expanding that to include Mythic Britain and Mythic Rome. Just these two Mythics supplements would cost $30.00 to buy, but you can snag them, along with all the scenarios, the maps packs, and the Mythic Britain Companion, for just $24.95 - a 17% Saving! Here's what you can get... Starter Collection (US$14.95 - retail value $47) Mythras core rulebook ($15) Mythras Imperative (free) Classic Fantasy ($20) Three Mythras adventures A Gift From Shamash ($4) Xamoxis' Cleansing ($4) Madness & Other Colours ($4) Bonus Collection (threshold starts at $24.95 - retail value $52) Mythic Britain ($18) Mythic Britain Companion ($5) Mythic Rome ($14) Mythic Rome Maps (PWYW) Three Classic Fantasy adventures M1 The Terror of Ettinmarsh ($5) G1 These Violent Delights ($5) N1 Tomb of the Mad Wizard ($5) How it works is simple. The customer can pay any price (minimum $14.95) to get all the titles in the Starter Collection. If you pay more than the threshold(average) price, which is set at $24.95 to start, you also get all the bonus titles. When a title is added after launch, all customers who previously purchased the bundle automatically receive the newly added title, regardlessof whether or not they paid higher than average. This is their reward for buying early. So if you’ve never tried Mythras before, or only tried some of the books, there’s never been a better time to start. Not only do you get at least 7 terrific PDFs at an unbeatable price, for just $10, you can expand your collection to include the acclaimed Mythic Britain and Mythic Rome titles, and three excellent Classic Fantasy adventures! Plus, you’re contributing to a very worthwhile cause at the same time. And do check out our Spark page, which gives a little more insight into our Bundle and connects with some Mythras reviews. https://spark.adobe.com/page/IUUCc2K2BXJ5O/ So don’t delay - Time is Running Out!

Still undecided about our Bundle of Holding? Take a look at our Spark page for details on why there's never been a better time to get into Mythras... https://spark.adobe.com/page/IUUCc2K2BXJ5O/

They sound like spells from the MRQ1 Spell Book.

Vance connects (some) of the Dying Earth magic with Lyonesse. Sandestins are the main sorcery conduit, for example, and there's lots of bizarre apparatus and metaphysics involved, so they're both connected. The art's lovely. Paul Sementilli is a New York based art teacher, and his style is so perfect for this book. Les Edwards has also very kindly licensed us to use some of the beautiful illustrations he did for the Gollancz collected edition a few years ago. They're so nice, I really wanted to use them in the game, and I'm thrilled that we're able to.

What's even more ironic is that Lyonesse was being considered as a possible setting for RQIV (the AH version) at one point.

We are delighted to announce the Lyonesse roleplaying game.Jack Vance’s high fantasy masterpiece, Lyonesse, is to be brought to life in a new roleplaying game by The Design Mechanism. Licensed and approved by Spatterlight Press, Lyonesse is a standalone game based on the acclaimed Mythras system. The Lyonesse trilogy – Suldrun’s Garden, The Green Pearl, and Madouc – tells the story of the Elder Isles, and the ambitions of King Casmir of Lyonesse to bring its fractious kingdoms under his sole rule. Casmir is opposed by Aillas of Troicinet, the lover of Casmir’s daughter, Suldrun, and father of Dhrun, a child raised among the fairies of Thripsey Shee and destined to sit on the throne Evandig, which King Casmir believes to be his own destiny.You can read the full press release here: http://thedesignmechanism.com/resources/Press_Releases/Lyonesse%20RPG%20Press%20Release.pdf. More information will be available via:The Design Mechanism Forum: https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/designmechanism/Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/designmechanism/G+ Communityhttps://plus.google.com/communities/113034383032729983266MeWe Grouphttps://mewe.com/group/5ac55e9da40f3052f33afe3bJack Vance Websitehttps://jackvance.com

Just to clarify, neither Pete nor myself had anything to do with the MRQ1 rules. They happened long before I joined Mongoose. When I did join, Pete and I made some efforts to address the clear issues MRQ1 had, and those fixes eventually turned into a full blown second edition of the rules. But neither of us was involved in the original rule set.

Greetings! Spring is springing, and we have two new releases for April. The first is The Fenix Papers, a collection of essays, articles, micro settings, scenarios, and GM/play advice from Pete Nash, and originally presented in the wonderful Swedish RPG magazine Fenix. This vast array of material covers everything from fantasy to horror, steampunk to SF, and is an essential companion for any Mythras GM. The book is lavishly illustrated, presented in full colour, and preserves the layout from the magazine. 115 pages, $15.99 (PDF) http://thedesignmechanism.com/store.php#!/The-Fenix-papers/p/103991591/category=5186110 http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/239142 http://www.lulu.com/shop/pete-nash/the-fenix-papers-tdm111/paperback/product-23591981.html And for Classic Fantasy, we bring you module M2: Moonspike Tower. This is a continuation of the Ettinmarsh setting introduced in module M1: The Terror of Ettinmarsh, and it expands on the eponymous tower, once the province of Kelamaz the Lich, and delves into the tomb lair of the kobolds. This is an excellent introductory adventure for Classic Fantasy characters of ranks 1 and 2, and is completely standalone. 39 pages, $5.99 (PDF) http://thedesignmechanism.com/store.php#!/M2-Moonspike-Tower/p/103991611/category=23403107 http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/239139 http://www.lulu.com/shop/che-webster/tdm506-moonspike-tower/paperback/product-23592125.html

Very glad you like Mythras! We do welcome fan materials, but please note that Mythras isn't OGL like Legend. We have a very simple, straightforward license that you can view on our website - or drop me a line if you have any questions.

The shadows have always been with us, and so have those who dwell within: the sorcerers, the fae, the lycanthropes and, darkest of them all, the vampires. All have secretly lived alongside humanity, veiled from mortal view, for milennia, but now they are exposed to the light, and the supernatural walks among us. Early in the 21st Century, the US Government discovered the existence of vampires and sought to eradicate them. Thus began the Vampire Wars, killing thousands, and ended only by the triggering of a nuclear warhead. And now, after the Vampire Wars, the world must adjust to a new reality: one where vampires openly walk the streets, where lycanthropes prowl the urban centres, and where sorcerers tout their services from strip malls. In After the Vampire Wars, you play the creatures of the shadows: seers, fae, lycanthropes and, of course, vampires. Each species has its own special powers and abilities, and some possess formidable magical and psychic talents. After the Vampire Wars adapts the Mythras rules to the contemporary era and the urban fantasy genre. It supports a wide range of campaign types: from gritty Noir, to fast and deadly cinematic adventure; from whimsical urban fantasy to passion-fuelled paranormal romance. After the Vampire Wars takes Mythras into new territory and does it with style. Fully compatible with the entire Mythras range, After the Vampire Wars creates a fascinating alternate universe where nothing is quite as it seems and where the supernatural struggles for control with the mundane. Take your first steps into the Shadow World and discover life After the Vampire Wars… TDM600 After the Vampire Wars 150 pages, soft cover Print & PDF $24.95/$12.99 TDM Store: http://thedesignmechanism.com/store.php#!/After-the-Vampire-Wars/p/100910112/category=27615050 Drivethru: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/232478/After-the-Vampire-Wars

A video preview of our latest release... https://youtu.be/OCAF_nO7JCE