White Wolf (or rather, its Sword & Sorcery arm) will bring us more Goodman Games goodness in the form of Etherscope, a standalone “Cyberpunk Victoriana” RPG spun off from d20 Modern under the Open Gaming License. Developed by the guys at Malladins Gate Press, Etherscope will join the rapidly growing list of second party products published under the Sword & Sorcery banner. The 240-page hardcover rulebook will arrive in November, followed by quarterly support products. The full press release is below.
White Wolf/Goodman Games press release follows:
Sword & Sorcery Studios to Publish “Etherscope” from Goodman Games
Atlanta, GA, July 20, 2005 — Goodman Games and White Wolf Publishing are pleased to announce that they have reached an agreement to publish the “Cyperpunk Victoriana” roleplaying game Etherscope™ under the Sword & Sorcery Studios™ imprint. Sword & Sorcery Studios will handle all publishing and distribution duties for Etherscope, which will be produced by Goodman Games in cooperation with the game’s creators at Malladins Gate Press.
Etherscope, a roleplaying game of etherspace adventures in a land of intrigue, industry, and imperialism, is scheduled for November release as a 240-page hardback with a price of $34.99. Published under the Open Gaming License, the Etherscope rulebook requires no other player’s handbook to use, but it will have several supplements of its own and can be used in conjunction with other OGL-driven games.
“Etherscope delivers a great combination of originality and quality, both in its use of the OGL mechanics and its detailed setting,” said Stewart Wieck, Managing Editor for Sword & Sorcery Studios. “These qualities will set it apart in a crowded marketplace. They certainly made it standout from the many other proposals we receive.”
“Etherscope is a beautifully unique RPG that combines the best elements of two great genres,” said Joseph Goodman, President of Goodman Games. “It’s a visionary world with an elegant engine that takes the best of d20 Modern® and adapts it to a unique setting.”
Etherscope was first developed by creators Nigel McClelland and Ben Redmond, who run PDF publisher Malladins Gate Press. Malladins Gate is best known for the DarkLore Campaign Primer and the Forgotten Heroes line of character-expansion supplements. “From its inception, the potential for Etherscope to become a truly great roleplaying game was obvious,” said Ben Redmond, the game’s co-creator. “Finding the best partner for the project was an important factor in realizing this possibility. As fans of DragonMech™ and Broncosaurus Rex™, we knew that Goodman Games would allow Etherscope to achieve its promise. Goodman Games has not let us down—Joseph Goodman has put together an excellent team to make Etherscope one of the true greats of roleplaying.”
All Etherscope supplements will be available to retailers from White Wolf in their normal distributor listings, just as with the DragonMech line (a previous collaboration between Sword & Sorcery and Goodman Games). Other Goodman Games releases will continue to be published separately by Goodman Games. Etherscope will be supported by quarterly releases, with the first being the setting sourcebook The Great Metropolis™ in January 2006.
Etherscope
240-page hardcover rulebook; ISBN 1-58846-944-1; WW17620; $34.99
Available in November 2005
The Great Metropolis
144-page softcover supplement; ISBN 1-58846-943-3; WW17621; $23.99
Available in January 2006
About Etherscope:
Etherscope is a Victorian-themed world with a rich cyberpunk overtone. In 1876, Harold Wallace discovered something that changed the world: Etherspace. The might of Victorian industry drove forward, breaking down the frontiers of technology. Steam engines became smaller, weapons became more powerful, and cybernaughtics replaced limbs lost in bloody imperial wars. Then mankind learned to step into Etherspace itself. Now it’s 1984. In this alternative world of out-of-control technology, Etherspace is the new frontier. Punk Scope riders fight evil industrialists while occult investigators war against Etherspace demons. Mysterious System agents lurk in the shadows as treasure-hunters raid Lemurian ruins for lost secrets. Jack in, scope up, and get ready, because the options for an Etherscope game are endless! More information on Etherscope can be found at http://www.goodman-games.com and http://www.swordsorcery.com.
About Sword & Sorcery Studios:
Sword & Sorcery Studios is an imprint of White Wolf Publishing, a leading publisher of roleplaying and card games, and the creator of the popular World of Darkness® and Exalted® properties. Created to publish under Wizards of the Coast’s Open Gaming License (using the rules set created for the third edition of Dungeons & Dragons®), Sword & Sorcery launched with the smash Creature Collection™ series and the popular Scarred Lands™ fantasy setting. It has also become the umbrella brand under which several smaller high-quality studios publish some or all of their OGL output. These studios include Monte Cook’s Malhavoc Press, Necromancer Games, Goodman Games, and Guardians Of Order. Sword & Sorcery has also licensed several popular properties, creating tabletop roleplaying games based on popular computer games such as Sony Online Entertainment’s EverQuest® and Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft®. For more information, visit http://www.swordsorcery.com.
About Goodman Games:
Goodman Games was founded in 2001 by Joseph Goodman. It is best known for unique RPG concepts and its Dungeon Crawl Classics™ line of adventure modules. In 2004, Goodman Games brought its talent to Sword & Sorcery with the publication of DragonMech, and that association continues with Etherscope. For more information, visit http://www.goodman-games.com.
Etherscope, DragonMech, Broncosaurus Rex and Dungeon Crawl Classics are trademarks of Goodman Games. The featured artwork and all content of the Etherscope rulebook is copyright © 2005 Goodman Games. White Wolf, World of Darkness and Exalted are registered trademarks, and Sword & Sorcery Studios, Creature Collection and Scarred Lands are trademarks of White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Dungeons & Dragons and d20 Modern are registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc.,a division of Hasbro, Inc. EverQuest and EverQuest II are registered trademarks of Sony Online Entertainment, Inc. Warcraft and World of Warcraft are registered trademarks of Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.