#earthdawn

[oldschoolfrp]

Sneaking past the temple guards (Steve Bryant cover for Earthdawn Journal no 3, 1995; official support for FASA’s Earthdawn fantasy RPG)

[vintagerpg]

Sky Point and Vivane (1995) is the final Earthdawn box set and it offers some radically different opportunities for play than the rest of the line to this point. You can tell just by looking at Stephen Hickman’s cover art, which looks a bit like something out of Metropolis, that this isn’t the familiar Earthdawn. A somewhat smaller artist pool is on duty inside: Tom Baxa, Joel Biske, Kent Burles, Jeff Laubenstein, Larry MacDougall and Mike Nielsen.

Three books, two maps and a booklet of handouts. Book one details the portions of the city of Vivane inhabited by natives of Barsaive. Book two looks at the quarters reserved for Theran citizens. Book three is dedicated to the region around the city, as well as the Sky Point platform, the aerial fortresses above it and the slaving city in its shadow.

All of this makes up the lone outpost of the odious Theran Empire in Barsaive. Most folks in the province are loyal to the Dwarven kingdom, though the Therans claim the whole thing belongs to them. They’re a bunch of sorcerous, slave-holding assholes though, clear villainous types who, if I recall correctly, had a really rough go of it during the most recent Scourge. So, while Vivane looks nice, I guess, it looks nice in a very “cover of Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead” kind of way. I see the appeal of having a city to explore in contrast to the dangerous wilderness and the corrupted kaers, but not Vivane. I wouldn’t want to live there. I wouldn’t want to visit, unless I had an army at my back and some mobile guillotines, you know? What power the Therans have is built on the backs of slave labor. Let’s have an exercise in violent, fantasy justice.

[skullchicken]

Question to the intersex community

I'm writing a tabletop roleplaying module where the sex, gender and desire of non-player characters are stated (they don't necessarily matter for play, but this information is there for representation and immersion). Imagine it like this for a lesbian cisgender woman:

Klara Schuler (human)

Age: 35

Appearance: chubby, 185 cm

Sex/gender: w/w

Orientation: homosexual, monoamorous

Other information: floral tattoo sleeves

With non-binary characters, I specify which flavor of non-binary we're talking about under "Other information": gender-fluid, agender, demi-boy etc. since I consider it important to know for the GM when playing them.

In the case of intersex I'm not sure if I should include the specific intersex variation (e.g. turner syndrome, androgen insensitivity syndrome etc.).

I could imagine arguments for and against both approaches, so I would really appreciate the input :)

Which would you prefer?

leave it vague

specify

secret third thing (please tell me in the notes)

I am not intersex but I'd like to click a button

Voting ended onDec 15, 2025

[wanderrealms]

Earthdawn influences in my writing are scaring me again.

[haveyouplayedthisttrpg]

Have you played Earthdawn ?

By Greg Gorden

Earthdawn is a role-playing game of “hopeful, post-post-apocalyptic fantasy” where you play as heroes fighting to rebuild the wounded world and protect those in it. As you search the land for lost treasures and forgotten cities, you use magic to drive back the dread Horrors that remain, and stand against those seeking to dominate and enslave the peoples of the world.

Fun fact: Earthdawn was originally written as a prequel to Shadowrun, but since these games now belong to different publishers, this metaplot was dropped entirely (of course, there's nothing stopping you from linking them in your own campaigns if you want…)

Have you played ?

Yes I have played it

No but i've read it

No but i've heard of it

Never heard of it

Voting ended onJul 21, 2025

[semiconductorwave]

"The Obsidian Man" by Janet Aulisio, 1993 for Earthdawn 1st Edition.⁠

[haaaaaaaaaaaave-you-met-ted]

Earthdawn - Prelude to War Cover Art by Brom

[rpgcovers]

Shadis #24 ~ AEG (February, 1996)