#riotminds

[rpgcovers]

Trudvang Chronicles: Runes of Memory ~ RiotMinds (2020)

[oldschoolfrp]

Drakar och Demoner (“Dragons and Demons”) was published by Äventyrsspel (“Adventure Games”) in 1982, becoming Sweden’s first and biggest fantasy RPG, set in its own world of Ereb Altor.  The first edition began as a translation of Chaosium’s Basic Role-Playing and included anthropomorphic ducks borrowed from Glorantha and Runequest.  It has grown and changed through many editions over the decades.  The publisher rebranded as Target Games and introduced the dark fantasy realm of Chronopia in the ‘90s, later spun off into its own miniature wargame.  RiotMinds published several editions in the 2000′s, one translated as Ruin Masters in 2019.  In August 2022 Fria Ligan / Free League launched a new Kickstarter for an edition of Drakar och Demoner with an English translation as Dragonbane.

[rpgsandbox]

Ruin Masters

Classic Fantasy Roleplaying game

Enter the world of classic fantasy and old school tabletop gaming. Adventure in the ruins of the past, set out on a treasure hunt in Ruin Masters.

Published for the first time in 1982, and with its roots in Steve Perrin's Basic Role-playing and RuneQuest games, the Swedish "Drakar och Demoner" was known for its basic and fun-to-play system and rules. Throughout the years the game has been one of the best-selling Role playing games and the "retro version" that was released in Swedish 2016 is still one of the top selling games in Sweden.

Now we want to expand this system with an updated, and re-designed English version of the classic game, including a rich portfolio of new art and design, a cover from Adrian Smith, interior art from renown artists such as Jesper Ejsing, Johan Egerkrans and not least Alvaro Tapia, who is well-known for his fabulous art in Trudvang Chronicles.

This game is designed and produced by RiotMinds that brought you Trudvang Chronicles (Voted, "the MOST ANTICIPATED GAME 2017", By ENWorld community) and LexOccultum (named as "one of top five games of 2018", Yawning Portal)

Now, please help us bring Ruin Masters to life!

The game includes tactical Dungeon Crawl AND Hex Travel rules for boardplay! So, gather your friends in this combined classic roleplaying and tabletop dungeon crawl game! Let´s see how long you can survive!

What's included?

The core package (without Stretch Goals) include the following:

Rulebook including character creation, general rules and the Caldarox world setting (the official world of Ruin Masters), dungeon crawling rules (drop lists, challenges, spawn lists, etc.) and monster stats. Softback, approx. 150-200 pages (pending on final format)

3 cardboard pages of cut-out miniatures

3x5 combat mode markers

Deck of Start-up-Cards

4-color map over Caldrarox

20 Character Sheets

Dungeon Crawl Introduction adventure (pdf)

Please notice: Dices are NOT included in some pledges. To make sure you get box and dices pick the "Adventurer" or "Dungeon Crawler Reward". You need one or more 10-sided dice(s) to play.

                                    Exclusive cover by Adrian Smith

Classic monsters, classic adventures, retro-play in a fast-paced, and easy to learn fantasy roleplaying game. Gather your old friends, kids, and family, and experience the thrill of a classic treasure hunt in the ruins of Caldarox!

Ruin Masters is a system which can be used with different approaches: roleplaying, dungeon-crawl boardgame, or even both!

Play classic, old-style fantasy roleplaying, or make your own dungeon using the Challenges, Spawn-, and Drop-lists to throw unexpected threats at the players as they crawl down in search for gems and artifacts.

                                                 Sample layout

                                              Tentative Character Sheet

                                                Goblin attack!!!!

About the rules and system

The game rules have their roots in the old-style Basic Role-play system, now with four characteristics (Physique, Mind, Intelligence and Charisma): each with a value ranging between 3 and 30 (3d10). There are also six broad skills (Combat, Outdoor, Knowledge, Magic, Burgling and Social),  with a value between 1 and 100% (d100) and an easy-to-learn combat system with actions (Offensive, Neutral or Defensive) including attacks and parrying.

A number of Body Points define how much damage one can take before death. The damage dealt by weapons can result in an "open-ended" way (roll again, should you roll a 10, etc.). Armor and shield absorb some of the damage pending on size and type. The system also use a "seven body parts" system.

Character generation is quick and easy (each player plays an "adventurer"). Roll the characteristics, define the skill percentages according to your tastes, draw 3 start-up-cards, equip your character and get ready to play!

The "Dungeon Crawl mode" use the same basic mechanics for combat etc, however each challenge is defined by a roll on a list of challenges (pending on level of difficulty) or pre-generated and set by the Game Master (such as "Clear the dungeon", or "Find the artifact", or "kill the crazy mage"). Characters keep their loot and get ready for another dungeon crawl. It's all about the "party" vs the Game Master!

Same thing with the "Hex Travel mode". Move your party through the world of Caldarox towards the next adventure site and encounter monsters and challenges in each and every hex! Just use the "ready-to-roll" charts and guidelines.

Purpose of the game

The players create their adventurers to play them in various adventures prepared and designed by the Game Master (or official ones from RiotMinds). Each adventurer must use skills and equipment (and friends) to survive and hoard treasures and experience in order to improve the adventurer and prepare them for more advanced quests in the ruins (classic role play). The game is perfect for any gamer who wants to get going and have some fun, just playing some good old-school, classic RPG.

In dungeon-crawl mode, it is all about surviving and reach as far into the dungeon or ruin as possible. As a Game Master you can even have many player groups competing against each other, or replay the same dungeon over and over again, just to see how far the adventurers can reach. Set a goal, plant treasures and drops should they be successful! Tell them about that magic artifact that is rumored to be locked into that last room in the dungeon.  Use the "encounter spawn charts" and start playing. This is Dungeon Crawl, or Ruin-play, as we say. Once you enter, there is no turning back! Cowards must fight their way back, just like they fight their way into the dungeon. And remember, every good adventure starts at the old inn!

Crush your players, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of their friends. This is Dungeon Crawl!

                         Every good adventure starts at the old inn!

                Hex map travel rules (...and random encounter spawns...)

About the setting

Ruin Masters is a generic fantasy game system that can be played in any setting (or just, adventure-by-adventure-style). However, as an introduction to an adventurous world, we also include an easy-to-start-with setting of Caldarox. It's a post-cataclysmic fantasy world whereas the heroes explore and adventure in the ruins of a past civilization, a world full of monsters and treasures. In Caldarox the heroes meet classic fantasy monsters such as minotaurs, dragons, orcs and goblins, as well as evil mages and mysterious knights.

Needless to say, great inspirations is the old-style roleplaying games from the 1980s including RuneQuest, Rolemaster, the first edition of WFRP, and many more.

Play classic roleplaying adventures or skip the story and go all in for some hex-based dungeon crawl bashing and treasure hunt! The easy-to-learn rules fit for both.

                                        Each site is an adventure!

             Cardboard cut-out figures for dungeon crawl and ruin play!

 Choose the "Adventurer" or "Dungeon Crawler" reward to get a Box and Dices!

The Artwork

As always, we work with the greatest artists to deliver the most stunning visual experience. We believe that the art is a major component to the setting and hence we spend months and months together with our artists to get the right design and feeling. In order to get the right "classic", yet modern and unique feeling, in this production we've been working in close collaboration with Alvaro Tapia (most known for the fabulous art of Trudvang Chronicles). We're also happy that Adrian Smith accepted to paint the cover for this production. He is well-know for his great art for Games Workshop, and his unique style just felt like the only possible choice for us. We're amazed how fast Adrian grasped the concept and how excited he was painting the cover. On board is also Johan Egerkrans who illustrated the retro-version in full, as well as Jesper Ejsing and Even Amundsen. Needless to say, we think that we co-lab with some of the greatest artists out there on this project.

                       Roleplaying or Dungeon Crawl? Your choice!

                                                    More cut-outs

                                            Get ready for adventure!

Kickstarter campaign ends: Fri, April 19 2019 5:00 PM BST

Website: RiotMinds

[rpgcovers]

Ruin Masters ~ RiotMinds (2020)

[rpgcovers]

LexOccultum: Alter Ego ~ RiotMinds (2018)

[rpgcovers]

Trudvang Chronicles: Game Master Screen ~ RiotMinds (2017)

[rpgcovers]

LexOccultum: Lex Libris ~ RiotMinds (2018)

[rpgcovers]

LexOccultum: Roi-de-Rats ~ RiotMinds (2018)