RPG Print News – Free League, Chaosium, and Cubicle 7 Starter Sets

I’m on vacation, so not every game this week is new. Instead, here are a selection of starter sets and core rule collections if you’re looking for a new RPG to try. Many of these RPGs have links to reviews as well. I have read or played all these systems except for Avatar and recommend all of them based on my experience and other reviews.

Blade Runner RPG Starter Set | Twilight 2000 RPG Core Box Set by Free League Publishing

• SYSTEM: Year Zero System
• PRODUCT TYPE: box sets
• RETAIL PRICE: $49.99/$59.99
• OTHER RPG COVERAGE: Twilight: 2000 review
• DESCRIPTION: In Blade Runner, PCs explore a neon noir city full of conflicts and contrasts that dares to ask the hard questions and investigate the power of empathy, the poison of fear, and the burden of being human during inhumane times. Includes: an 80-page condensed rulebook, a 56-page booklet containing a full-length Case File, four pre-generated characters, a huge full color map of Los Angeles in 2037, 26 full-color evidence handouts for the players including crime scene photos and more, a custom manila envelope for the players to keep their evidence in, a Time Tracker Sheet, 70 cards (non-player characters, chase maneuvers and obstacles, and initiative in combat), and eight engraved, transparent custom dice – two each of D6, D8, D10 and D12. PCs face the devastation of World War III in the year 2000 in Twilight 2000. In this alternate timeline, the Soviet Union never collapsed and PCs need to build something new. Rally people to therr ranks. Stake a claim and protect it. And maybe, if they live long enough, start turning the tide. Contains: a 152-page Player’s Manual including rules for character generation plus travel and base building, a 112-page Referee’s Manual describing a world at war and including 52 ready-to-play encounters and four complete scenario sites, an 864 x558 mm double-sided full-color travel map, 15 engraved dice including ammo dice and a hit location die, 16 modular battle maps, 108 cardboard tokens for fighters and vehicles, four battle maps for specific scenario sites, 52 encounter cards, 10 initiative cards, and five blank character sheets.

Troika! Intro Bundle by Melsonia Arts Council

• SYSTEM: Troika!
• PRODUCT TYPE: two hardcover books: core rules and adventure
• RETAIL PRICE: $41.67
• OTHER RPG NEWS: Troika!: An Interview with Daniel Sell and a review
• DESCRIPTION: In Troika!, PCs experience a rich and vibrant world of adventure through a complete yet wildly open role-playing game using just six-sided dice. PCs fly through mystic space, get lost in infinite cities of the gods, and meet weird and wonderful people. Ongoing support introduces new monsters and new adventures. In Slate & Chalcedony, the PCs investigate twinned and twisted wizard towers of hidden secrets in almost 70 weird and worrisome rooms. The PCs strive to save the world from a slow and choking death. Includes new and unpleasant spells.

Call of Cthulhu Starter Set (40th Anniversary) | Pendragon RPG Starter Set | Runequest Starter Set by Chaosium

• SYSTEM: Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition/Pendragon 6th Edition/RuneQuest
• PRODUCT TYPE: box starter sets
• RETAIL PRICE: $29.99 each
• OTHER RPG COVERAGE: RuneQuest Starter Set review and Pendragon Starter Set review
• DESCRIPTION: In Call of Cthulhu, PCs take on the role of investigators of mysteries, uncovering dark secrets, encountering strange monsters, and thwarting sinister cults. What’s in the box: a solo introductory adventure, a booklet of the basic rules needed for starting play, another booklet of three starter adventures, five ready-to-play game characters, blank character sheets, six dice, and a set of ready to use handouts. Pendragon is set in King Arthur's Britain, a time of the flowering of chivalry. PCs are knights who strive to overcome mythical monsters, rival knights, and other wondrous challenges in search of Glory. Inside: a solo adventure, a booklet with details on the game's setting and core mechanics, and another adventure that takes Player-knights through the most important early events of King Arthur's reign. In Runequest, all of the PCs use spells and anyone can be a warrior in a world of gods, cults, magic, family, and fantasy. PCs are defined by their Runes, culture, and cult. Contains books, dice, maps, and 12 pregenerated character folios.

Soulbound RPG Starter Set | Wrath & Glory RPG Starter Set by Cubicle 7

• SYSTEM: Soulbound RPG/Wrath & Glory RPG
• PRODUCT TYPE: box starter sets
• RETAIL PRICE: $24.95/$39.99
• OTHER RPG COVERAGE: Soulbound Starter Set unboxing
• DESCRIPTION: The Soulbound RPG Starter Set contains pamphlets, tokens, dice, characters, maps, and more all stuffed in well priced box set. PCs are heavy duty Soulbound fighting vicious and dangerous foes in a magic drenched world of danger and challenge. In Wrath & Glory, PCs explore and fight to survive in the Gilead System: eight Imperial worlds cut off from the Emperor’s light by the Great Rift and beset by daemonic invasion and internal corruption. Includes: a 48 page adventure set aboard the Varonius Flotilla which was intended to relieve the system but which is now trapped in Gilead, a guide to the Varonius Flotilla including the brutal internal politics of the fleet led by the Rogue Trader Jakel Varonius, NPCs, plot hooks, one page adventures, detailed ports of call around the system, five gatefold character sheets with pre-generated characters, three two-sided rules reference sheets, token trackers, and eight six-sided dice including one unique Wrath Die.

Avatar Legends Starter Set by Magpie Games

• SYSTEM: Powered by the Apocalypse
• PRODUCT TYPE: box starter set
• RETAIL PRICE: $24.99
• DESCRIPTION: PCs enter the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender on action-packed escapades through the Four Nation. Includes: a 32-page booklet of condensed rules, a 40-page introductory adventure booklet featuring The Pirates of Crimson Sails set in the era of Avatar Aang and The Burning Fuse set in the era of Avatar Korra, 10 engraved dice featuring Tui and La, 21 combat action cards, 10 illustrated pre-generated character sheets, six rules reference sheets, a large full-color map of the Four Nations, and a unique code to unlock a PDF of the set and a 50% discount code for the Avatar Legends Nexus Core Book on demiplane.com.

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[aramis erak]

The Case File that's included shouldn't take more than a session to complete (4-ish hours, depending on your players), and it's very good. It's the first adventure in a planned series of connected stories. There is barely enough to run a longer campaign, if you develop it yourself. All that said, it's a really good game and the box set is worth the investment, even if you get the hardcover book.

Took my group 3 sessions, and they still didn't complete it. (dropped since the players most interested were unable to continue.)

And all my players were experienced with Vaesen, T2K 4e, and Alien.
Then again, they took 3 sessions to play the Alien cinematic from the preview (Chariot).

And each of the Vaesen mysteries ran us 3+ sessions.