Arc Dream and Makers of ‘Delta Green’ Are Creating a ‘Black Company RPG’
Call the Chronicler, there’s a Black Company RPG in the works from Arc Dream Publishing and the makers of Delta Green.
Glenn Cook’s Black Company novels are being adapted into a tabletop roleplaying game by Arc Dream Publishing and the makers of Delta Green. This marks a new official adaptation of the dark fantasy series, though there have been others before. Back in 2004, Green Ronin published the Black Company Campaign Setting, and of course, there are plenty of other games inspired by the novels chronicling a bunch of mercenaries caught up in a battle “between evil and worse.”
Titles like Band of Blades capture the feel of a mercenary company making a last-ditch stand. But this new RPG will feature an all-new engine, built from the ground up to capture the vibes of the novels. Which, as a reminder, range from existential dread when facing down evil beings like The Dominator to a pair of Wizards one-upping each other via bird poop.
In other words, most ttrpg campaigns already. Let’s check it out.
Black Company RPG In Development
The announcement comes via Arc Dream Publishing, who posted about the upcoming RPG on their website:
Arc Dream Publishing proudly announces plans for a new tabletop role-playing game based on the Black Company series. Licensed by Glen Cook, The Black Company Role-Playing Game will put players at the heart of the adventures, dangers, and treacheries that surround the storied Black Company.
In The Black Company, we follow an elite mercenary company through a continent-spanning war and desperate raids. A war between good and evil, the enemy might say, rebelling against the dark empress who employs the Company. A war between evil and far worse, if you ask those who know what drives the leaders of the rebellion. Don’t ask the soldiers of the Black Company. They only want to do their job, look out for each other, and live another day.
Perhaps one of the reasons that Arc Dream Publishing makes sense here is their previous work on titles like Delta Green, which is basically “spec ops Cthulhu”. As they put it, they have spent “decades capturing the experience of soldiers and government agents for RPG players.” Now, I don’t know if playing an elite agent dedicated to taking out monsters and covering up their existence is the typical soldier and/or government agent’s experience.
But you know, the general sense, the general effort is there. It makes sense that they’d want to highlight that though, because part of what makes The Black Company cook is that it has the gritty “soldier’s perspective.” A big part of what made the novels so popular was how human and grimy they made the epic fantasy, while still having these big powerful figures.
It’s wildly different from A Song of Ice and Fire, and you can see the Black Company’s influence in a lot of “dark fantasy” stories. But we’re here to talk about the RPG, which Arc Dream Publishing says will feature a brand-new engine:
“The Black Company RPG features a new game engine built to capture the suspense, terror, and savage heroics of the novels. We will playtest it on a new Patreon feed dedicated to this game. Watch for announcements on Arc Dream’s social media or sign up here to enlist.
The Black Company RPG will start with a core rulebook that features the Company’s adventures serving the Lady and her Empire as described in the novel The Black Company. Adventures and sourcebooks will delve into details of that era. Other books will explore new campaigns, settings, and times based on other stories in the series. The expansion of the Empire described in Shadows Linger and Port of Shadows.
The Company’s near escapes of the On the Long Run story arc. The rebellion of The White Rose. The changing Empire of The Silver Spike. The Shadowmaster Wars of Shadow Games, Dreams of Steel, Bleak Seasons, and She Is the Darkness. The mysteries and horrors of glittering stone in Water Sleeps and Soldiers Live. And entirely new worlds that open in Soldiers Live and in tales yet to come.”
At press time, there is no release date announced. But keep an eye out for more info. And in the meantime, check in with your Chronicler to make sure your name is spelled right.
