Vagrant Workshop

On the Horizon

Dammi — Sat, 19 May 2012 22:45:00 +0300

Even if it has appeared to be quiet here for a while, we Vagrants have been busy. Apart from the upcoming release of FreeFate, we've been extending our relations to other countries and picked up licenses for two indie games from Norway and Finland.

Itras By is the beginning of a journey away from reality as you perceive it with your everyday senses. The means are elements from surrealism; an art movement from the 20’s which tries to portray the life of the subconscious. The method is roleplaying, a game where a group of people together create and partake in a story. The end is to free the thoughts from their usual patterns. The intention is to liberate impulsiveness and creative power, maybe even rendering everyone a slight bit wiser.

Valley of Eternity is a roleplaying game about everyday heroes and fate as an outcast, reserved for those who are in any way different from their fellows. It is a roleplaying game about penguins, inspired by western movies. While Valley of Eternity is not a game about good vs evil, it features a bit of comedy with serious undertones. Designed mostly for one-shot adventures, Valley of Eternity is a good entry-level roleplaying game with a simple setting and deep meaning.

Stay tuned for more information on these titles. Discuss them in our forums!

Pro-Indie

Dammi — Mon, 07 May 2012 22:24:00 +0300

To increase clarity with our labels, we will separate Pro-Indie into its own website to cover all german-language releases, while Vagrant Workshop will continue to hosts and cover all our english-language releases. We'll update this site in the next couple of days, so don't worry if anything doesn't work temporarily.

Subspecies

Dammi — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 12:30:00 +0300

The next in our small series of articles featuring details about Equinox features background on the subspecies inhabiting that universe. We also highlight two of the many subspecies appearing in Equinox, the brutish Hokai and the empathic Yol.

Enjoy and discuss this in our forums!

Subspecies

Dammi — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0300

The mystical forces of the universe have a direct influence on the human genome. Humans born in the presence of a mystic field—which before the invention of mystic field generators meant they had to be on a planet in a mystic cycle—sometimes belong to a subspecies. The exact appearance of a subspecies depends on the mystical energy field present during gestation, the specific interactions between a human’s genome and the mystic field varying by world. While normal humans may give birth to a member of a subspecies if the pregnancy is carried out in a mystic field, members of a subgroup only bear children of that same subgroup. However, if no mystic energies are present, all children will be born as normal humans.

Vampire City Sheets, FreeFate

Dammi — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 13:54:00 +0300

We have added the Characters, Extras, and Location Sheets for Vampire City as free download to the product page!

As a sidenote, we're proud to announce that print versions of FreeFate will soon be available in both german and english. You can already order the german version here (the electronic version is free, and you can download it in various formats here).

Forums back online!

Dammi — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 10:58:00 +0300

The Vagrant Workshop forums are back online. Not sure what the problem caused exactly, but the ongoing server switch solved it. Sorry for the long downtime, we'll start answering open questions again today.

Fear the Night for it has Fangs!

Dammi — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 21:18:00 +0300

We've announced it for quite a while, and now it is finally ready: Vampire City is now available! As with our other books, you can get the PDF along with your order--for free!

Vampires have appeared in legend for time immemorial, throughout all ages of history. Vampire City represents a new voice in their tale, inviting you to make it your own. Romanticism and tragedy, sacrifice and avarice, diplomacy and betrayal, gift and curse, the struggle with mortality: this game is not for the faint of heart.

A roleplaying game for three to five players, Vampire City focuses on these dark souls. Without the need for a gamemaster, the game allows everyone to participate in a truly collaborative experience; giving free reign to pursue even contrary interests!

(On an unrelated note: please bear with us while our forums remain offline. We're working on a site update, which is why this takes a bit longer than expected.)

A Guidebook for Gamemasters

Dammi — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 22:10:00 +0300

We're proud to announce that the Gamemastering book is available in print again. This time around (and thanks to DriveThruRPG), you'll get the PDF along with your order--for free!

This book provides both beginning and experienced gamemasters with instructions that are usually neglected in roleplaying game books. How to tailor the game to the group? How to prepare a game in no time? Can one learn to improvise? How to create and structure adventures? Find answers to these and other questions, along with directions, examples, and even excercises!

The Last Bastion

Dammi — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:40:00 +0300

In response to your requests for setting details, we have added an article detailing the three things iconic to the Sol System: the Protectorate, Gateway Station, and the Earth Belt.

This is just an edited excerpt of the core setting, which focuses mainly on the Sol System and Earth Belt piracy. You might want to read the The Far Future article first.

Enjoy and discuss this in our forums!

The Last Bastion Against Evil

Dammi — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:52:00 +0300

If you believe the history vids, the Consortium tried to take control of the Sol System in the aftermath of the Great Netherwar. But even with the war over and the Demons beaten back to wherever it was they came from, Sol was a very dangerous place. Shanrazi partisans continued to fight and raid shipping in the shattered remains of Earth long after their masters had been banished. So the Consortium established a military industrial power to protect their interests in the Earth Belt.

Welcome to Western City, Greenhorn!

Dammi — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:35:00 +0300

We're proud to announce that the Western City game is available in print again. This time around (and thanks to DriveThruRPG), you'll get the PDF along with your order--for free!

You can also download the character and extras sheets from the product pages (for both english and german versions).

Barbaric Downloads!

Dammi — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:46:00 +0300

We have added the Appendix as well as the Character Sheet for BARBAREN! The Ultimate Macho Roleplaying Game as free downloads to the product pages (for both english and german versions).

Bits and Pieces

Dammi — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:19:00 +0300

We have added two articles for Equinox. The first one is detailing the voice and concept we'll use in the Equinox Gamemaster's Guide, and the second one talks about the core mechanics we're using (as well as where we drew inspiration for the system). Also see our forums for Q&A about the game!

This is How We Roll!

Dammi — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:42:00 +0300

For Equinox, we wanted to design a dice mechanic that fits a cinematic play style with a solid set of mechanics—not too rules-light, but not too rules-heavy. It took us many iterations and tinkering to finally arrive at the system we use now, which is one we are quite proud and fond of.

Before we get into the system proper, some of the process and sources of inspiration might be of interest as well. With Vagrant Workshop’s history with Earthdawn Third Edition, we initially started off using a variant of the Step System. This worked well enough to get us through an initial playtesting round, but showed that some of the tweaks we wanted specifically for Equinox didn’t quite work out. One of the solutions was dropping the idea of using the full range of die types, which eventually led us to a simpler system using only good ‘ol six-sided dice. We designed that one from scratch, focusing on the elements we wanted in the game. However, something was missing.

So You Think You’ve Seen It All Before

Dammi — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:16:00 +0300

You’re no stranger to roleplaying games—anyone who gets a good look at you can tell that. I mean, really—you do know they make t-shirts in colors other than black, right? Whatever. I’m here because I’m pretty sure that you’ve got a pretty serious misconception about Equinox—you think that just because you’ve stuck your nose in a game or two, you know what you’re going to see when you get your hands on this game.

You’re wrong.

New Year, New Name, New Website...

Dammi — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 22:04:00 +0300

We've been offline for a few long weeks, and are now finally back with a brand-new website! Let us introduce ourselves, the Vagrant Workshop. We're a small group of independent game designers driven by dedication to quality. We trust in our products and enjoy great designs, both mechanically and visually. Our main way of publishing books is DriveThruRPG, where we offer high-quality print and PDF books (okay, just one printed book at the moment, but we're working on more!).

Our Pro-Indie line of games has been around for quite a while and is available in English as well as in German. The latest addition to that line is BARBAREN! - The Ultimate Macho Roleplaying Game, a tongue-in-cheek approach to fantasy gaming (best read with Arnold Schwarzenegger's heavy accent in mind). The next game coming up is Vampire City, a gamemasterless roleplaying game focusing on those ever-popular creatures of the night. Vampire City is a truly collaborative experience--a chance for players to build a compelling story together, even while pursuing contrary interests!

Another major game line we are working on is Equinox. A future fantasy game of stunning action, frightening intrigue, and mystical powers, Equinox is set in a war-ravaged dark future. We've been working on this game on and off for a few years already, and it is slowly nearing completion. To sweeten the wait for this game, we'll run a few articles about the game and talk about it in our new forums. While we'll likely miss our target to release the game at GenCon 2012, we intend to keep you up-to date about the development process.

So, welcome to our new place! The new year comes with a lot of work attached--and we're on it!

Vampire City

Dammi — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 23:42:00 +0300

FEAR THE NIGHT FOR IT HAS FANGS!

The city is a place of nightmare and darkness, where the worst fears of mortals' hearts come alive. Creatures driven by their need to feed upon us like lowly cattle stalk the shadows. If you choose to come here, mortal, it will be your end!

Vampires have appeared in legend for time immemorial, throughout all ages of history. Vampire City represents a new voice in their tale, inviting you to make it your own. Romanticism and tragedy, sacrifice and avarice, diplomacy and betrayal, gift and curse, the struggle with mortality: this game is not for the faint of heart.

A roleplaying game for three to five players, Vampire City focuses on these dark souls. Without the need for a gamemaster, the game allows everyone to participate in a truly collaborative experience; giving free reign to pursue even contrary interests!

Free Downloads: Character & Extras Sheets

Print & PDF available at

The Far Future

Dammi — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 15:59:00 +0300

"In the dark night of a distant future, the shattered remains of Earth drift through the cold void of space. The shadows of the past have been driven away, and the dark clouds at the horizon appear to be man-made. After the Great Netherwar, which resulted in the destruction of Earth, mankind is restless, scattered across the void, bereft of its cradle. The Sol system became the last, safe hideout for outcasts both mystic and mundane. Known as Vagrants, they are rebels to the oppressive might of the Consortium--the government ruling over what's left of Earth and its colonies. True freedom can only be found among the stars, the voices of the galactic underground say. To them, the war isn't over.It has only just begun."

Ride hybrid ships through astral space connecting planets and galaxies, wield awesome mystic powers, nethertech artifacts, and cutting-edge technology! Take on the role of a restless wanderer--someone living on the fringes of galactic society, scraping by in a war-torn system or even stealing other people's stuff. Wether a misfit, scoundrel, mercenary, pirate, idealist, explorer, or just someone who walked away from his home in search of adventure: you are part of the galactic underground. Fight the nightmares that invaded the universe, start a revolution against the fascistic and corrupted Consortium government and explore space beyond the Veil ...

Equinox is a future fantasy game of stunning action, frightening intrigue, and mystical powers, set in a war-ravaged dark future. This article intends to sweeten the wait and give you a glimpse of what the game will hold for you!

Western City

Dammi — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 13:03:00 +0300

DRAW, ya varmint!

A roleplaying game designed so everyone can play... ...as players!

Western City introduces immersive mechanics so all the players share the spotlight without anyone being the gamemaster. Toss your chips in the pot where the story matters most to you, and work together to bring a spaghetti western to life around your gaming table.

Frame the story and design your own High Noons. Strive to fulfill your character's goals, while stepping into the shoes of a supporting cast you have a stake in. Come on down to Western City...

...or are you yella?

Free Downloads: Character & Extras Sheets

Print & PDF available at