Jun 152012
 

Before we get deep into the mass of new games for this week, we want to give a brief shout out to tomorrow’s Free RPG Day.

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Pulp will be hosting a number of games throughout the day featuring various systems, including Pathfinder, Dungeons & Dragons, and Shadowrun. If you’re curious about the schedule, here it is…

10am Shadowrun (Blade Runner meets Lord of the Rings)
11am Pathfinder
1pm Pathfinder
2pm D&D (4e)
And there may be a few pick up games throughout the day.

Of course, as the title suggests, there will also be some free materials for various game systems being handed out along with sales on RPG related merchandise.

Okay, now to the real reason we’ve called you all together. We’re putting together a job, see, and we need the right, specialized people to pull it off.

Infiltration, the new stand-alone card game based off Fantasy Flight‘s Android board game, takes that famous heist movie premise and transports it to the far, far future. Two to six players control futuristic noir thieves attempting to steal valuable secrets from a corporate entity. But, as is the case with these situations, the further you descend into the heist, the more difficult it becomes to escape.

Taking a different kind of journey down the rabbit hole is the newest expansion for Dixit, Dixit Journey. Offering a wide variety of new illustrative cards (by a new artist, none the less), Journey can be played as either a stand alone game or a companion expansion to the base game.

Fortress America has received a make over thanks to Fantasy Flight. The new edition of the classic game involves the same storyline and mechanics (two to six players controlling America or invading countries in a vicious struggle for control of the continent), but with a grimy, gritty redux accompanied by 300 detailed miniatures and a revised rulebook.

One for the kids now. Donkey, It’s a Kick is a mad cap family friendly game where everyone competing to complete various random tasks. The trick is these tasks never stay the same for too long. Even more complicated, after players are eliminated from the game they continue to play as donkeys, this time keeping to only one goal: eliminate all other players. Add a little Wild Turkey to the mix and you might have yourself a dang good party game, too.
 

Like Doctor Jones says, “Fortune and glory, kid.  Fortune and glory”.

I understand that some of my segues can be quite the stretch, but the Indiana Jones reference here is rather apt.  That is because Fortune and Glory is a pulpy game set in the 1930′s revolving around treasure hunters, gangsters, lounge singers, and femme fatales globe trotting in search of…wait for it…fortune and/or glory.  Just like in Last Night on Earth (from the same company), players choose specific characters, all with their own unique abilities, with which to travel around the massive world map the game comes with battling baddies and collecting treasures.  Listen to Indy and take a peak at Fortune and Glory.

Grab some gear, become a legend.  You can accomplish both of these tasks for the world of Shadowrun by picking up this week’s new hardcover releases of Runner’s Black Book and Street Legends.  Both editions help to flesh out the deep, dark, dank world of Shadowrun in separate but equally grimy ways.  First up, the Runner’s Black Book is all about hardware. Hardware like the new Kriss X Submachine Gun and the TPP light pistol.  Plus it reprints and collects vehicle and weaponry information from previous releases like Deadly Waves, Gun Heaven, MilSpec Tech, This Old Drone, and Unfriendly Skies.  Second would be the mythical tome that is Street Legends.  Detailing the stats, back stories, and adventures of various famous runners, vampire hunters, and shadowy figures of the universe, Street Legends is the perfect way for a game master to expand their story.

Turn the gears, pump the valves, and steady the blimp ’cause Airship Pirates is off the starboard bow.  Steampunk lovers out there take notice because Airship Pirates is the new roleplaying game from Cubicle 7 (makers of such dandy RPGs as Doctor Who and The One Ring) set in a futuristic Victorian world where blimpships hover over the putrid clockwork cities below.  Based off of steampunk band Abney Park’s lyrics, this initial book in the Airship universe gives players and GMs, alike, all the information they need to be able to create a campaign, characters, and obstacles for a successful night of highskies adventure.

Continuing on the RPG bandwagon (What would that look like, by the way?  Lots of Mountain Dew I’m assuming.), the original master of the medium, Dungeons & Dragons, releases both a new supplement and a new adventure this week.  Both begin with M, coincidentally.  Anyway, Mordenkainen’s Magnificent Emporium (please don’t make me type that again) is up first with numerous items of various magical, mystical, and monetary value.  Intelligent dungeon masters can use this book and the item-based story suggestions within to create a riveting quest for their players.  Next is Madness at Darmore Abbey, which is an adventure intended for 6th to 8th level characters.  Set in a former monastery that has now become a monstery, this adventure will challenge players as they face off against some of the worst creatures lurking in the dark. This box set includes every bit and piece players will need to run the adventure.

What’s that?  You didn’t get enough pulpy goodness with the first game?  Well, okay, we’re at your service.  In that effort, here’s the new expansion/standalone edition of The Adventurers, The Pyramid of Horus.  Also filled with all kinds of Indiana Jones homages, this threequel to the original Adventurers game from Fantasy Flight is set in a new local peppered with equally deadly traps and treasures.  Each person involved selects one of eight character options then begins searching through the pyramid amidst sharp, squirming, and striking dangers for artifacts.  Whoever makes it out with their head still attached to their shoulders wins.  Oh, and if the regular non-painted miniatures included with the game are not vivid enough for you, a separate set of pre-painted minis was released along with the game.  Buy a hat, a whip, and Sean Connery and you are good to go.

Okay, enough with this pulp stuff.  Let’s get into some dark, spookiness.  GURPS delivers on that front with a new flavor of setting in Horror.  If you’re looking to run a campaign outside of the normal fantasy setting, these hardcover editions are the perfect solution.  Horror, specifically, supplies tips and suggestions for both game masters and players on not just how to run a horror-themed game, but also the genre, in general.  Countless character archtypes sit alongside stats for hordes of nasty creatures (including everyone’s favorite, evil clowns).  Two campaign outlines are also included in the book to give another helping hand on getting going.

That H.P. Lovecraft guy certainly gets around, doesn’t he?  Another in the long line of Arkham Horror products, Elder Sign is a new spin on the classic explore-the-creature-infested-mansion structure.  Instead of using miniatures and a map, gamers play with a combination of dice and cards to gain courage and skill points that allow them to purchase objects, eventually shooting for the titled elder sign so that they can close off the Great One’s entrance into this world.  Special dice are also rolled to determine the obstacles and adventures that will unfold during the course of the game.  As the game serves one to eight participants, those who love Arkham Horror, but grow tired of the set-up phase, might find this a quicker, less part-heavy version of the game.

To wrap things up tonight, Bears!.  That’s all, thanks.

Okay, maybe a little more.  Bears! is a new entry in the growing trend of easy to learn, easier to play dice games, such as Zombie Dice, Martian Dice, and Cthulhu Dice.  Not surprisingly, maybe, these are not Yogi-and-Boo-Boo-type bears.  These are gnaw-on-your-fleshy-bits bears.  A dice pairing game at heart, players select which point nabbing strategy to explore:  shoot the bears or sleep through the attack.  Using a hand of five dice, everyone pairs their own rolled dice with a ones piled in the center of the table.  Certain combinations are worth different point values, but don’t worry, those are all outlined on a handy dandy reference chart.  That’s the game.  Heeeey, Boo Boo!

 

Lists are kinda great.  Lets all celebrate lists with one about the abundance of restock items that Pulp received.

  • Lost Cities bordgame (Yipee!  It’s back in print!)
  • A Game of Thrones LCG (new expansion comes later in the post)
  • Mayday sleeves
  • Savage Worlds Explorers Edition
  • Pathfinder – Gnomes of Golarion, Orcs of Golarion, Halflings of Golarion, Inner Sea Primer (new expansions come later in the post)
  • L5R RPG Emerald Empire & Enemies of the Empire
  • Magic the Gathering Deck Boxes in a multitude of colors, sleeves, and Ultra-Pro 9-Pocket card hardcases
  • A ton of paint
  • Warmachine – Most battlegroups, rule books for most factions, and Ripjaw, Lancer, and Revenger.

Also, not a restock, but a quick blurb for the new issue of White Dwarf.

If you’re picking up any of the Warmachine, Warhammer, or any minis at all, you might want to take a look at the Rare Earth Magnets.  These are designed to hold miniatures onto bases with extreme magnetic force.  Seriously, these things attract each other through the two layers of plastic container they’re held in.  I’d bore you with the dimensions, but there’s a lot.  Basically, whatever size you think you’d need, they make.

¿Dónde está el Fluxx Español? En Pulp Fiction!  Yes, in the long line of Fluxx editions, there is now a Spanish version.  Not only is every card in Spanish, but the art and box are different.  Might I recommend, if you are a Spanish teacher, whether in high school, college, or elementary, this would be a perfect game to use as a teaching aid in class.  Simplemente decir.

A major release for this week, Dwarf King’s Hold drops onto shelves.  Why is this such a big bad?  Well, inside the box there is not only a fantastic two player dungeon crawl/battle game that has players taking control of undead and dwarf forces, but also 32 miniatures.  The game builds on the six included scenarios, each leading up to an epic final battle.  Also, the tiles included can be arranged as the player or scenario deems acceptable to form different maps for each style of play.  Whether you’re looking for an exciting two player game, a bunch of gnarly minis, or both, you should aim your peepers at Dwarf King’s Hold.

You wants some attitude? How ’bout I play Dr. Know and give you some attitude?  Shadowrun Attitude, in fact.  Following in the treads of all the other futuristic criminal enterprising present in the Shadowrun universe, Attitude fleshes out the finer aspects of life.  You’ll find a Scroll’s worth of information on music, sports, and other activities to keep you busy between Shadowruns.  Don’t be a twinkie, buy it today.

Speaking of scrolls gives me a perfect transition into mentioning a semi-new Fresco expansion, Fresco, The Scrolls.  Technically called Expansion Module 7, this new addition to the Fresco gaming series, adds new, uh, scrolls, bestowed upon you by the bishop.  Each one allows players to tailor the fresco to their own desires, all while earning additional victory points.

Do ye wear a kilt, brotha?  Ye should, men wear kilts.  And te find out if yar a real man, brotha, ya need ta play Lords of Scotland.  Aye, comin’ outta Z-Man games, this wee deck’a cards has ya fighting for the approval of the clans’a Scotland.  If ya gain their loyalty, then yer on yar way ta being crowned king, brotha.  Aye, it’s a game’a champions.  And the short on cash.

Warhammer Fantasy RPG releases another invaluable resource this week with the Omens of War box set.  Inside are contents that will benefit the GM and player, alike.  New careers, fighting styles, rules for mounted combat, and much more sit side by side with deep explanations of the Empire, Knightly Orders, and vicious history of the Old World.  On the game master side of things, information on the Ruinous Power Khorne, his minions, a peak into the Blood God’s strategy, and new severe injury rules are included.  This information comes on top of all the numerous tokens, cards, standups, sourcebooks, and other pieces that are spilling out of this beautiful Warhammer Fantasy box set.

Returning to Pulp’s shelves is the QUERP Rulebook.  No, that’s not another Spanish word, it’s an acronym for Quick Easy Role Playing.  Intended for beginning roleplayers or veterans who are looking to run a simple, fast adventure, QUERP contains every detail players and game masters need to build a world, create characters, and play.  Simple, quick, easy fantasy in a well made package.

I said they’d be mentioned up top, well here goes.  Pathfinder has both Faiths of Purity and Rule of Fear coming out this week.  What do these colorful Paizo booklets contain?  Glad you asked.  Faiths of Purity leans toward the kind, honest, generally good religions of the Pathfinder world, giving players the ability to create characters in flavor and mechanics.  Rule of Fear, on the other hand, lives in the dark, shadowy nation of Ustalav by offering information on thirteen counties, gazetteers for seven cities, six conspiracies, and eleven adventure locations.  Can you afford to be caught without them?

A Game of Thrones, not just a popular HBO program anymore.  Haha, right?  Yeah, George R.R. Martin’s been turning out books and other GoT product for a long, long time, the A Game of Thrones LCG being just one of example.  As the LCG (living card game) is based around new expansion coming out periodically (in an effort to continually keep the game fresh) the Queen of Dragons expansion adds components based around House Targaryen.  These include 165 cards, new strategies, tactics, and deckbuilding options to help creat two new decks, Fire and Blood and Hosts of the True-Queen.

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