Free League Announces Coriolis: The Great Dark

Coming to Kickstarter next month is a new science fiction TTRPG from Free League. A sequel to Coriolis-The Third Horizon, the new game features "exploration, mysteries, and intrigue at the far edge of space".

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We are incredibly excited and proud to announce Coriolis: The Great Dark, our brand-new science fiction roleplaying game about exploration, mysteries, and intrigue at the far edge of space. Venture out into the unknown on mighty Greatships, delve deep into ancient ruins and partake in the Byzantine schemes of powerful guilds.

Coriolis: The Great Dark will be launched on Kickstarter March 19. Inspired by 19th century polar expeditions, deep sea diving and pulp archeology, Coriolis: The Great Darkoffers a new take on sci-fi roleplaying that emphasizes mystery, a sense of wonder and breathtaking visuals.

Sign up for Coriolis: The Great Dark RPG on Kickstarter!

Visit the Kickstarter pre-launch page and sign up to be notified the moment the campaign goes live! All backers who pledge levels with physical rewards within the first 24 hours will receive a bonus item soon to be revealed. If successfully funded, all backers will get the PDF version of the game months ahead of the official release.

Coriolis: The Great Dark is fully standalone game, but is also the spiritual sequel to our critically acclaimed Coriolis – The Third Horizon, Free League’s very first science fiction RPG. Coriolis – The Third Horizon was granted the Judges Spotlight Award in the ENNIE Awards 2017 and was one of the first international releases from Free League.

 

[nyvinter]

I’m getting grimdark 40k vibes with this? Is it fair? I like the tone of a lot of free league stuff so would be interested in campaigns, maps and art I can use for Imperium Maledictum.

I don't know since I'm not getting any of those vibes. But then again, I don't care about wh40k at all so...

What I do get is what if Saladin Ahmed wrote Blade Runner/Alien crossed with Alastair Reynolds Revelation Space.

 

[TheSword]

I don't know since I'm not getting any of those vibes. But then again, I don't care about wh40k at all so...

What I do get is what if Saladin Ahmed wrote Blade Runner/Alien crossed with Alastair Reynolds Revelation Space.

You don’t think Alien/Bladerunner is grimdark? Alien(s) et al is one the single biggest inspirations of 40k in its entire line.

 

[nyvinter]

I mean, I can see the marines influence in the 40k, but thats the most boring part of Aliens to me — I like the working-class horror of the first movie and the spiritual-clinging-to-hope-when-we-deserve-none of the third. And I for me, horror and grimdark isn't really the same thing. It's hard to explain.

 

[Swanosaurus]

I mean, I can see the marines influence in the 40k, but thats the most boring part of Aliens to me — I like the working-class horror of the first movie and the spiritual-clinging-to-hope-when-we-deserve-none of the third. And I for me, horror and grimdark isn't really the same thing. It's hard to explain.

I get it ... I can see the Aliens influence in WH40k, but it's much like the Tolkien influence in D&D - WH40k is still a totally different animal from Alien, and D&D in its usual form has very little similarity to Middle-Earth.
(Also, always a pleasure to encounter one of the few people besides me on the planet who like Alien3. I actually enjoy it a lot more than Aliens.)

 

[TheSword]

I get it ... I can see the Aliens influence in WH40k, but it's much like the Tolkien influence in D&D - WH40k is still a totally different animal from Alien, and D&D in its usual form has very little similarity to Middle-Earth.
(Also, always a pleasure to encounter one of the few people besides me on the planet who like Alien3. I actually enjoy it a lot more than Aliens.)

I also really like Aliens 3, but that’s probably because of the Brit’s.

I think the wargame is being confused with the setting. The wargame is all big folks with bigger guns. The setting largely fleshed out by the novels and the Dark Heresy games is all about working class horror. Just my opinion.

 

[aramis erak]

I’m getting grimdark 40k vibes with this? Is it fair? I like the tone of a lot of free league stuff so would be interested in campaigns, maps and art I can use for Imperium Maledictum.

Having read the core, and skimmed the supplements (I got the PDF bundles in 2021) of the Free League edition... it's more akin to the Riddick setting. (due mostly to common source imagery and high concept: 1001 Arabian Nights in Space.

The suggested group types include the following mechanicalized types

• Free Trader — Alternate uses: Smugglers, Bulk Haulers, Couriers
• Mercenaries — Alternate uses: Corsairs, Rebels, Tactical Teams (presumably active duty)
• Explorers — Alternate uses: Prospectors, Colonists, Correspondents
• Agents — Alternate Uses: Judicators (police/civil defense), Assassins, Detectives for hire
• Pilgrims — Alternate Uses: Hands in search for Work, Travelling Circuses, Space Nomads.

Note that there are mission tables for each category.

It presupposes a ship, not paid off yet,

Religion is a major theme. And has mechanical benefits. It's mentioned in the skills, and pushing is framed as prayer during the task, but it's not a grimdark one.

Pushing rolls is transactional - it generates a GM a Darkness Point (metacurrency); these are used for NPC pushes, emptying PC ammo clips, misfires, etc.

I'll have to be "that guy" but you've got it completely wrong. The mystery of the Icons is never revealed in the adventure and they remain very ambiguous as a concept.

Spoiler: Spoiler

What the adventure reveals is that The Emissaries, which claim to be the Icons incarnated, are those ascended humans from the 2nd Horizon which are in a secret war with the 1st Horizon for control of the 3rd

Dude, it really helps if you either retain the quote or @-mention (eg: @mdosantos ) so people know which post you're on about.

 

[TheSword]

Having read the core, and skimmed the supplements (I got the PDF bundles in 2021) of the Free League edition... it's more akin to the Riddick setting. (due mostly to common source imagery and high concept: 1001 Arabian Nights in Space.

The suggested group types include the following mechanicalized types

• Free Trader — Alternate uses: Smugglers, Bulk Haulers, Couriers
• Mercenaries — Alternate uses: Corsairs, Rebels, Tactical Teams (presumably active duty)
• Explorers — Alternate uses: Prospectors, Colonists, Correspondents
• Agents — Alternate Uses: Judicators (police/civil defense), Assassins, Detectives for hire
• Pilgrims — Alternate Uses: Hands in search for Work, Travelling Circuses, Space Nomads.

Note that there are mission tables for each category.

It presupposes a ship, not paid off yet,

Religion is a major theme. And has mechanical benefits. It's mentioned in the skills, and pushing is framed as prayer during the task, but it's not a grimdark one.

Pushing rolls is transactional - it generates a GM a Darkness Point (metacurrency); these are used for NPC pushes, emptying PC ammo clips, misfires, etc.

Sounds useful to me. Will check it out.

 

[aramis erak]

I didn't have time earlier, but the listed inspirations from the intro (page 8-10) include:

• 1001 Arabian Nights
• Firefly
• Revelation Space (Alastair Reynolds)
• Alien

None of which are as grimdark as 40k, tho' the Alien setting can be stretched to run that way. It's worth noting that in Firefly and Alien, the protagonists do make a difference... and that is explicitly also intended as part of the setting tropes.

SCENARIOS IN CORIOLIS
Coriolis is a game designed for epic campaigns where you see the Horizon change by your actions, but you can of course also play smaller, more focused campaigns, concentrating on the concept or goal of the group. Maybe it all takes place on a cut-off colony on a remote moon or in a surrounded squad of drone operators on Uharu-13. Regardless of how you intend to play, there are many different ways to create a good story in Coriolis.

 

[CapnZapp]

I bounced off the old versions, despite its gorgeous art when I struggled to figure out what PCs would actually do.

Yes.

Seems as if the new version tries to rectify this; the initial blurb basically saying "you can play a great explorer".

 

[CapnZapp]

...

Regarding your spoiler, I would simply note the game is sold as a sci fi game, so it makes a certain sense to me.

Regarding the polytheistic setting I don't know what you can't discuss, but again - I don't see a problem because before the advent of Islam in the real-world region, the Middle East sure was polytheistic.

And since I prefer polytheistic religions anyway for my role-playing needs (over monotheistic ones like Christianity), again when I read through the rulebook I was pleased they didn't too slavishly follow their real-world inspirations.

Plus, I would have thought going with a one-god setting could only have caused more trouble than it's worth. (By having a clearly different theology they ensure nobody can draw any real-world parallels they then get offended by)