#170: Scavengers Reign
I. Dear Reader
Another quick recommendation this week: I’ve been watching the animated TV show, Scavengers Reign this week. It’s a far future scifi drama about a group of people marooned on an alien planet who are trying to survive. A major emphasis on alien there. Every aspect of the planet is full of wonder, feels heavily influenced by the art of Moebius but also just the feeling of playing Pokemon Red for the first time and having a whole ecology of strange creatures unfold before your eyes.
The world is weird and creative and is a tremendous canvas for a gripping story of surviving inhospitable conditions. Highly recommended though just a note, it’s very much aimed at adults and has some real tragic and occasionally scary moments weaved in.
Yours xenologically,
Thomas
II. Media of the Week
A fun talk about worldbuilding for RPGs, both collaborative worldbuilding done at the table and the kind that you prep before and after.
Chaoclypse collects 5 resources for adventure creation that they use when they do solo and other kinds of gaming.
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III. Links of the Week
If you wanted a high level overview of what’s happening with nordic larp in general and knutepunkt festival in particular, this talk by Jaakko Stenros might be helpful.
On Polygon, “I met my husband in a Vampire: The Masquerade LARP group and I’m not alone”.
On Cannibal Halfling, Aaron Marks reviews one of the first ever academic studies about RPGs, Gary Allen Fine’s 1983 book Shared Fantasy,
The term “invisible rulebook” is a useful phrase when talking about games that are “rules light”. In this article, S John Ross unpacks that term a bit.
On Rock Paper Shotgun, a look at the computer RPG, Roadwarden, and how its design is based on the tabletop RPG campaigns of the designer, including classic player behavior around money and magic.
IV. Small Ads
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Daemognosis is a free scenario for Heirs of the Leviathan, full of intrigue, jealousy, and a mysterious occult dealings. Check it out!
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A wondrous worldmaking game with tension, traitors, and a living chimera you call home — The Marvelous Children of Inang-Uri by momatoes. All proceeds donated to Doctors Without Borders.
DAGGERS & HEART in its final days on Kickstarter! This hack of Lasers & Feelings uses the best die, a d12, costs only $1, and you get instant access when you pledge!
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City of Mist, the game of mythic, comic book characters doing noir things, has two bundles - a core one and one of the supplements.
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I also just started Scavenger Reign this week, so timely on this. I have concerns about how tragic it'll get, but thus far I'm enjoying the impending doom.
I'm falling in love with Scavenger Reign, ideas for an entire ecosystem by the minute. I love how well the survivors are adapted and somehow know what to use to create light, a gas mask etc