Interview on the Monastery Podcast

 

Earlier this week, I had the good pleasure of interviewing on the Monastery Podcast with Mildra the Monk about Chromatic Shadows. We covered a lot of ground with topics ranging from the origins of the game, cyberpunk class design, "hacking theory", and plans for the future. If you can hang with my occasionally long, reaching discursions, we get into some interesting territory. Many thanks to Mildra for having me on his show!

Announcing the EMERALD AURORA: A Chromatic Shadows Adventure

 

I'm very happy to announce THE EMERALD AURORA, a full length adventure for CHROMATIC SHADOWS: OCCULT CYBERPUNK ROLEPLAYING.

Grab a PDF from DriveThruRPG  or from Itch!

Inspired by The Color Out of Space, The Wicker Man and Station Eleven.

It's a site based mini sandbox that takes your characters deep into the industrial no-man's land of the Slags. Explore a repurposed airport! Help a neotribe in distress! Venture into an abandoned shipping yard haunted by an eldritch green glow!

 

Full color, artistic graphic design, "control panel" layout, 35 pages, 8 original maps. Introduces new mechanics like negotiation tests, and basic vehicle rules.

Ten years ago, a Shadow War probe was launched into the dark beyond our solar system in order to perform an occult ritual in space. Now the probe has returned, crash landing deep within the industrial wasteland of the Slags. The entire area lies behind a slowly expanding veil of eldritch green light that is threatening a nearby Neotribal settlement. A team of hardcore street operators must venture beyond this emerald aurora, penetrate its eldritch mysteries, and confront its otherworldly dangers.  

Announcing the Release of CHROMATIC SHADOWS BASIC!

 I am VERY pleased to announce the release of CHROMATIC SHADOWS BASIC, Occult Cyberpunk Roleplaying. Download the PDF now for FREE from DriveThru RPG and itch.io!

CHROMATIC SHADOWS is an original weird cyberpunk tabletop roleplaying game. The Basic Rules contain everything you need to jump straight into a strange new world of cyberpunk action and occult intrigue!

It's been ten years since the Collapse. As the world's three largest megacorps burned down, a highly secretive Shadow War ground to an abrupt halt. Now hundreds of black sites have been left to rot out in the Sprawl. Powerful, hidden Occult Assets lie abandoned, and eldritch threats are breaking into reality. You’re a street operator driven by an occult obsession. What will you do in the face of these incursions? Hold the line for humanity? Or blow open the gates to the howling darkness? 

CHROMATIC SHADOWS BASIC RULES introduces an original near-future setting where classic cyberpunk gameplay meets themes of eldritch horror and high strangeness.

• 94 pages, full color, artistic and easy to reference layout

• Operator archetypes and character creation rules

• Options for playing a fringe Neotribal character type

• Strange Attractors and Occult Sympathies

• Complete hacking and drone rigging rules

• Expansive list of weapons, gear and cyberware

• A roster of Sprawl NPCs and eldritch enemies to slot straight into your campaign

• Sample Occult Assets with ready to use story hooks
  

What is the game like?

• Classic cyberpunk play, emphasizing character driven narrative

• A unique urban sandbox, a Sprawl haunted by strange factions, and occult artifacts

• Fast & fluid d6 dicepool engine

• Streamlined and intuitive mechanics

• Deep character building & tactical options

• Niche protected character archetypes

• Unique, setting specific mechanics like Occult Milestones, Synchronicity, and Resonance

• Pays homage to classic RPGs like Shadowrun, Vampire the Masquerade & Call of Cthulhu

• Inspired by the writings of William Gibson, H.P. Lovecraft and Mark Fisher

Chromatic Shadows Announcements and Beta Previews

 

Greetings operators! We are so close to the official release of Chromatic Shadows Basic, and I can't be more excited! 

Three important announcements.

First: I'm opening the Chromatic Shadows Discord server to new members. Please consider joining our small but growing community of playtesters and cyberpunk gamers. All members receive full access to the latest 90 page Chromatic Shadows Basic Rules beta. Jack in and let's talk about game design and playtesting! discord.gg/K635HxF4

Second: I'll be sending out the first email blast next week with the latest announcements and release schedule. Another way to preview the beta ahead of it's official release is to sign up to the official mailing list. Anyone on the list will also receive a copy of the latest beta as a "thank you" for your support. Please consider signing up if you haven't already! https://www.chromaticshadows.com/

Third: The CHROMATIC SHADOWS Basic Rules will be 100% FREE on DriveThru and Itch. That's a full color, fully playable 90+ page PDF to download and share! 

 Onward cyberpunks!

 

Two Critical Transmissions

Its been a busy few months decoding strange and cryptic data sets, but I am pleased to bring forth two important transmissions from the digital aether!

First, the Chromatic Shadows website has been redesigned and updated. Visit www.chromaticshadows.com to see what's new. If you you are interested in this project, please consider enrolling in the mailing list, for important updates, release dates, and new project announcements. I promise to keep any email blasts to a necessary minimum.

Second, I am thrilled to announce the upcoming release of the CHROMATIC SHADOWS BASIC RULES to Drive-Thru RPG in April 2023.

This volume is essentially a very beefy "quick-start", intended to introduce players to the mechanics and overall feel of the game. Chromatic Basic contains most of the character creation and the player facing rules. It is a very playable, accessible, lightweight version of the final product, and should offer lots of opportunity for play until the much longer, CORE RULES are complete.

 

 

What can you expect in the BASIC RULES?

CHROMATIC SHADOWS BASIC RULES covers 92 pages of essential mechanics, so you can jump straight into the world of occult-cyberpunk action!

• Full operator archetype and character creation rules.
• Options for playing a fringe Neotribal character.
• Strange Attractors and occult Sympathies.
• Complete hacking and drone rigging rules.
• Expansive list of weapons, gear and cyberware.
• Sprawl NPCs and eldritch enemies to slot straight into your campaign.
• Sample Occult Assets with ready to use story hook

What is the system like?

• Classic cyberpunk play, emphasizing character driven narrative.
• Fast & fluid d6 dicepool engine.
• Streamlined and intuitive mechanics. Easy to adjudicate and make rulings on the fly.
  
• Deep character building & tactical options.Rewards clever character design.
  
• Niche protected character archetypes. Each Role does something special.
• Unique, setting specific mechanics like Occult Milestones, Synchronicity, and Resonance.
• Pays homage to classic RPGs like Shadowrun, Vampire the Masquerade & Call of Cthulhu.
• Inspired by the writings of William Gibson, H.P. Lovecraft and Mark Fisher.