Age Of Sigmar Gets A New RPG – Cover Reveal And Preview
Age of Sigmar is getting a roleplaying game, and we’ve got a look at their cover and rules! Come see what the folks at Cubicle 7 have in store for the Mortal Realms!
Roleplaying comes to the Mortal Realms today with a first look inside the upcoming Age of Sigmar RPG. Players will be able to take on the role of heroes and villains across the Mortal Realms, finding adventure and danger everywhere from Hyish to Ulgu. Designed by the folks at Cubicle 7 (whom you might recognize as the publishers of WFRP), the Age of Sigmar RPG uses a new system, introduces new archetypes to the Mortal Realms, and lays the ground for adventure. Let’s take a look.
via Cubicle 7
The Age of Chaos saw the Mortal Realms overrun with violence and death, but Sigmar’s return and the beginning of the Age of Sigmar saw hope rekindled. But now Nagash, the Undying King and Lord of Death, has set a thousand-year plan in motion. The dead stalk the lands and the mighty Stormcast Eternals are stretched to the brink. The Realms need heroes or risk falling into a new age: The Age of Death.
When you play the Age of Sigmar Roleplaying Game you will be taking on the roles of heroes of the Mortal Realms. Your disparate group are a beacon of hope in the Realms and it is up to you to ensure that light isn’t extinguished. You will drive back the forces of Chaos, Death, and Destruction and help to return life and civilization to the Realms.
And from the look of the cover, Nagash and his undead hordes play a big role as antagonists in the game. Though doubtless you’ll be able to face down Darkoath warriors, Daemons, Orks, Grots, and the less savory forces of Order. I’d be willing to be money there’s some Daughters of Khaine duplicity in the works–but what about the game itself? Here’s what we know so far:
The game uses a d6 dice pool system where you build a pool using one of three attributes (body, mind, and soul) and one of 24 different skills, which calls to mind the old Tri-Stat RPG days. You’ll also have an assortment of unique powers and abilities in the form of talents and special abilities depending on what you choose.
From what we’ve heard, there’s a pre-set starting list for each character, but once you start playing, it’s fairly open–so look for a lot of customization in the game. And Cubicle 7 is looking to explore new ways to encourage teamwork and interaction with “a number of systems within the corebook centred on having your party work together, interacting with the factions of the realms, crafting, pets and mounts, and creating your own spells.”
As far as what you play–there are basic archetypes that every player starts with:
Your Archetype is who you are when you begin playing the Age of Sigmar Roleplaying Game. It may be your job, a calling, a military rank, or something a little more esoteric, but whatever it is it represents who you are when you first pick up the dice. Your Archetype is who you are now, but who, or what, you might become has yet to be decide
Each Archetype consists of a species, starting attribute ratings, what skills and talents you can choose from, as well as what factions you hold influence with, what your starting gear is, and all the other nuts and bolts you’d expect. And there are a surprising number of archetypes, including a few I hadn’t expected to see–but am nonetheless delighted about:
The Archetypes presented in the corebook are drawn from some of the most well-known heroes of the Forces of Order. We will share more details and artwork for each Archetype in a future update, but for now we are happy to confirm the Knight-Questor and Knight-Incantor of the Stormcast Eternals, Auric Runesmiter of the Fyreslayers, Aether-Khemist of the Kharadron Overlords, Isharann Tidecaster of the Idoneth Deepkin, Witch Aelf of the Daughters of Khaine, Excelsior Warpriest of the Devoted of Sigmar, Former Freeguild Soldier of the Free Peoples, Kurnoth Hunter of the Sylvaneth, Skink Starpriest of the Seraphon, and the mysterious Realmswalker.
Any game that lets me play ANY of the Seraphon, but especially a Skink has got the right idea. They’re going all in on AoS’ special brand of flavor and fun.
Which also translates to a lot of exploration of the Mortal Realms themselves. And like most things AoS right now, a lot of the action is focused on the Realm of Fire:
The Mortal Realms are almost endless, so packing them into a single book would be impossible. The Age of Sigmar Roleplaying Game presents an overview of each of the Mortal Realms and what life is like for the people who live there. These give players and GMs an idea of what it would be like to adventure in these lands, who they might meet, and the threats they might face. It provides a grounding for you to set your adventure in any Realm you choose.
As well as giving an overview of each of the Realms, the corebook has a chapter dedicated to the lands of the Great Parch in Aqshy, the Realm of Fire. This chapter gives an insight into the daily life of the inhabitants of Aqshy, how they survive, how they trade and who they trade with, and how they have recovered from the events of the Age of Chaos. The great cities of Aqshy are explored, as are the havens of Chaos, Death, and Destruction. This chapter presents all the information a GM will need to run a campaign in The Great Parch.
And with a team of AoS authors working with the Cubicle 7 folks, the game is shaping up nicely–we’ll have to wait and see what else gets included in the book, but in the meantime, this is a lot to chew on. Let us know what you think about the new AoS rpg in the comments!
Happy adventuring!
