Monthly Archives: April 2017

Alternity Design Blog #15: Choose Your Future?

alternity metalWhat Does “Choose Your Future” Even Mean?

One of our core design goals with the Alternity game (now on Kickstarter) is to provide a game system that can be used for all sorts of science fiction. We call it a modular system because Alternity provides building blocks a GM can use to build worlds that match the genre and style of game they want to play. Some of these tools are like dials, allowing the GM to “turn up” or “turn down” things like the campaign tech level or character durability. Other tools are building blocks or subsystems–psionics, for example–that plug into the game engine but can be individually dialed up or down (or left out entirely when they don’t fit). Continue reading

Alternity Design Blog #14: Protostar Peek, Kickstarter Running

alternitylogowhiteonblackToday we’re going to take a closer look at the Protostar setting for our upcoming Alternity Science Fiction Roleplaying Game, now live on KickstaterProtostar serves as a sample sci-fi setting in the Alternity Core Rulebook—it’s a medium-future, hard-SF setting in which humanity has spread throughout the Solar System and is beginning to explore and colonize the nearby stars. Interested in planetary surveys, vicious corporate competition, power politics, and alien mysteries? You’ll like Protostar. Not interested? No problem, it’s not hardwired into the rulebook—you’ll have plenty of material for building your own setting. Read on! Continue reading

Alternity Cleared for Launch, Countdown Commencing

alternitylogowhiteonblackWe at Sasquatch are pleased to announce that Alternity launches Tuesday, April 4, on Kickstarter. (Update! The project is now live!) In case you don’t yet know, Alternity is a science-fiction RPG with everything from interstellar exploration, post-apocalyptic survival, or near-future government conspiracies.

Available as a full-color 240-page hardbound book or device-friendly PDF, Alternity is a toolbox that enables a group of players to explore whatever SF genre inspires them. Golden-age space operas, steampunk intrigues, and post-singularity dramas are all possible, as are titanic space battles, alien contact missions, and speeder chases across strange landscapes.

Alternity’s release extends beyond the core rulebook, as two key sourcebooks will be available at launch: the Shipyard provides ship construction rules, deck plans, and statistics for dozens of starships of all tech levels; and the Protostar Mission Guide provides a campaign overview and adventures that explore the most dangerous places in the galaxy. Both sourcebooks can be had as softcover books or PDFs, and stretch goals throughout the Kickstarter campaign will unlock additional sourcebooks such as the Xenologist’s Guide to Aliens, a second setting book, and more!

Cockpit_finalAlternity was designed by award-winning RPG designers Rich Baker, David Noonan, and Stephen Schubert, with consultation and guidance from Bill Slavicsek. Baker and Slavicsek’s work on the project marks a reunion of sorts for the duo, who designed a version of Alternity in the 1990’s.

The Beta release of Alternity is now available as a free download on DriveThruRPG. The Beta release includes an overview of the rules, an introductory scenario, and an adventure with pre-generated characters. We’ll also be posting a survey tomorrow (April 4) to get even more directed feedback on our playtests.