Paizo Opens Up The Dark Eye
There’s a Dark Eye over at Paizo HQ right now…
That’s right, Paizo has started carrying the Dark Eye, which is an awesome RPG from Germany. It’s flexible ad streamlined–you can use the rules to play many kinds of classic fantasy adventures, so if you’re feeling the itch to swash some buckles, or delve into high fantasy, or get real dark and gritty–the Dark Eye has got you covered. And if, like me, you’d never heard of it before, you can dive in with the Quick Start rules, which are available for free right now over on Paizo’s site.
I think it’s neat to see what shape mechanics/rules take from another perspective–even if fantasy isn’t your jam, it’s still worth at least taking a look at to broaden those horizons. This is a game made by players for players:
“The Dark Eye was the first German tabletop roleplaying game to be successfully introduced to the games market. It was launched in a big campaign during the 1980s and it remains extremely popular today. It’s won over the players and offers everything you need in a fantasy roleplaying game—a huge number of exciting settings that have been brought to life by hundreds of authors over the years. And it is a place to feel at home.” —designer Eevie Demirtel
“The main reason for the success of The Dark Eye is that it has something to offer for everyone. The world of The Dark Eye is incredibly vast and detailed, and is reminiscent of fairy tales and childhood dreams.” —Ulisses Spiele President Markus Plötz
“The game world of Aventuria has been growing over the decades. It has a long, very detailed history and many different regions, offering something for every gamer. There are Arabian Nights-style adventures in the desert regions and tales of pirates on the seas and the jungles of the deep south. In the Middenrealm, Aventuria’s largest region, you can play as knights or noble folk, dealing with wars, intrigue, and of course bloody battle. In the far north you can play as settlers or even travel to the eternal icy wastes and launch expeditions to recover ancient lost secrets.” —designer Daniel Simon Richter
“Every author writing The Dark Eye started out as a player. The Dark Eye offers a living story that is told and developed in adventure modules and supplements that offer new opportunities, plot hooks, and threads of the big story. That’s what fans love about The Dark Eye—they like to see the world evolve.” —designer Alex Spohr
Advertisement
But wait there’s more–just released is a big Warring Kingdoms sourcebook to help expand the world of Aventuria. So take a good long look into the Dark Eye.
via Paizo
The Dark Eye: Warring Kingdoms – $39.99
The grudge between the Warring Kingdoms of Nostria and Andergast has burned for almost two millennia.
This regional sourcebook provides detailed background information on these hostile realms in northwestern Aventuria and their combative inhabitants. Explore the hazardous Forest Wilderness, the deadly Bladegrass Steppes in the east, and the rough coasts of the Lakelands. Uncover hidden secrets of sumes (druids) and witches, and pit your heroes against new creatures, such as evil marwolds and predatory giant dragonflies.
AdvertisementThe Warring Kingdoms includes the following.
- 11 new region-specific character professions, such as Andergastan knights, Nostrian dike builders, all-knowing serpent witches, and mysterious druids
- An example Forest Wilderness village
- Details on knightly traditions and royal tournaments
- New armor and weapons, including the famous two-handed Andergaster sword and the Nostrian longbow
- Focus rules for character traits, to give your hero a regional flair
- New special abilities, spells, rituals, and the enigmatic ancestor glyphs
- Mysteries and adventure hooks for use by the GM
- A poster map of the region, plus city maps of Andergast, Nostria, Joborn, Salta and Salterhaven, and Teshkal
Of course if your eye is dark, you could always just put a steak on it, and it’ll fix right up.
