RPG Blog II Applauds EP
The folks over at RPG Blog II posted up their Best and Worst of Gaming in 2009, and they selected Eclipse Phase as the best sci-fi product of the year:
Best Sci-Fi Product
Gold: Eclipse Phase
I don't usually do Transhuman sci-fi, but Eclipse Phase mixes it with horror and a bit of investigative conspiracy and comes up with a nice shot in the arm for the sci-fi RPG genre. Oh, and did I mention it was published under a Creative Commons license? Total bonus points there.
That's an awesome compliment, thanks guys!
Five for the Future 12-15-09
- Wingsuits for airborne assaults
- Fingerprinting RFID
- Shape-shifting antennas
- Brain scans for whether people will keep their promises
- Separate nerve systems allow feeling without pain
Eclipse Phase Quick-Start Rules!
At long last, we present to you the Eclipse Phase Quick-Start Rules!
In This Game, Death Is Optional
These Quick-Start Rules provide everything new players need to dive right into a game of Eclipse Phase. It includes a primer to the game’s transhuman setting, where future technologies allow people to digitally back up their minds and download into new bodies. A stripped-down version of the core rules cover the basic mechanics.These Quick-Start Rules also come with a starting adventure, Mission: Mind the WMD, that puts the characters on a mission for the secretive Firewall organization to protect transhumanity from a potential deadly threat. Four starting characters are provided, with backgrounds and roleplaying tips, so players can jump right into the action.
The PDF is constructed with layers, so you can drop out the background and other elements for printing and whatnot.
Download the Eclipse Phase Quick-Start Rules
Peter Watts Needs Support
Science-fiction writer Dr. Peter Watts, whose writings were one of the inspirations for Eclipse Phase, recently had an unfortunate and alarming incident at the US border (he's Canadian) where he was beaten and arrested without provocation. You can read his account of it here, and more about the situation and the support he needs with his legal fees here.