The Rise of New Zealand RPG Products

In February 2011, I posted about  some of the great New Zealand roleplaying products that had recently been released.  Two and a half years later it seems appropriate to post an update, and celebrate more of the fantastic products authored by Kiwis since then.

First up, Monster of the Week by Michael Sands - Monster of the Week is an action-horror roleplaying game.  Most people don't believe in them, but they're real. Mostly, when someone finds out that monsters are real, that's just before they die.  But some people are mean enough, smart enough, crazy enough, or hurt enough, that they live. And some of those people go and hunt down more.  That's who you are – someone who decided to go on a crusade against the evil critters that are scurrying around out there.  You can get it direct from Mike, from Lulu or DriveThruRPG. 

Next, On Mighty Thews by Simon Carryer - On Mighty Thews is a pulp fantasy roleplaying game that’s fast and easy to play.   Mighty warrior-heroes face mortal peril in a land of sword-fighting, strange cultures, monsters and magic.  On Mighty Thews lets you and your friends tell bizzarre and bloody tales of swords and sorcery in a world of your own creation. Perfect for a casual and quick game, you can be playing within minutes of opening the book. Pick it up from the indie rpgs un-store.

Also by Simon Carryer, is the recently released adventure The Cosmic Trader - The Cosmic Trader is a short one-shot adventure module suitable for classic level-based fantasy gaming. A strange shop in a small border-town is the gateway to a bizarre and terrifying adventure in distant space. Characters will explore "The Cosmic Trader", a magical interplanetary trading ship, meet its strange and sinister captain, grapple with his collection of oddities and amusements, and maybe even uncover dark secrets and find rich rewards. Check it out at DriveThruRPG.

Then its on to The Bell by Stephanie and Catherine Pegg - The Bell is a science fiction suspense live roleplaying game that is intended to be an emotionally intense game that pushes moral dilemmas.  (It isn’t recommended for novice roleplayers.)  It can be run for 12 to 20 players with a play duration of two hours. You wake up with your memories fracturing around you. You're going somewhere, and there's something wrong, and you know these people here with you, or maybe you only think you do. All you really know for sure is that you can hear this Bell. Buy it from DriveThruRPG.

Stephanie and Catherine Pegg have also published two other live action games, including Super Sparkle Action Princess GX! which is a modern day chaotic live roleplaying game for 13-16 people. Players take on the parts of the cast and crew filming an episode at short notice in difficult conditions, using a live camera and  But Nobody Loses An Eye! which is a modern day live roleplaying game about the magic, chaos and terror of childhood, for 8-12 people.

Back in the world of tabletop roleplaying, Morgan Davie has continued his work on the ICONS superhero game with his contribution to the recently released ICONS Team-Up a Game Master's toolkit for the critically-acclaimed superpowered role-playing game.

Steve Hickey has also been busy with several offerings in the works including Left Coast, A roleplaying game about science fiction writers living in California - inspired by the life of Philip K. Dick. 

Finally, my game of character-driven survival horror, EPOCH, has had ample coverage on this blog, but I also wanted to note that so far 6 other New Zealand authors have so far contributed original scenarios for the game, including the sci-fi collection Frontier of Fear, The Cold Shore and the forthcoming War Stories.

So, all in all, a pretty impressive collection of products. I look forward to seeing what's next for New Zealand roleplaying writers and publishers.

If you know of a product I've missed, comment below or drop me a line and I'll add it.