<br /><br />Sword & Sorcery Studios to publish "Etherscope" from Goodman Games and Malladins Gate

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Wednesday, July 20

Sword & Sorcery Studios to publish "Etherscope" from Goodman Games and Malladins Gate

I recently contribued a section to the Etherscope book The Great Metropolis. It's a 144-page softcover supplement; ISBN 1-58846-943-3; WW17621; $23.99. Available in January 2006

Goodman Games and White Wolf Publishing are pleased to announce that they have reached an agreement to publish the "Cyperpunk Victoriana" roleplaying game Etherscope under the Sword & Sorcery Studios imprint. Sword & Sorcery Studios will handle all publishing and distribution duties for Etherscope, which will be produced by Goodman Games in cooperation with the game’s creators at Malladins Gate Press.

Etherscope, a roleplaying game of etherspace adventures in a land of intrigue, industry, and imperialism, is scheduled for November release as a 240-page hardback with a price of $34.99. Published under the Open Gaming License, the Etherscope rulebook requires no other player’s handbook to use, but it will have several supplements of its own and can be used in conjunction with other OGL-driven games.

"Etherscope delivers a great combination of originality and quality, both in its use of the OGL mechanics and its detailed setting," said Stewart Wieck, Managing Editor for Sword & Sorcery Studios. "These qualities will set it apart in a crowded marketplace. They certainly made it standout from the many other proposals we receive."

"Etherscope is a beautifully unique RPG that combines the best elements of two great genres," said Joseph Goodman, President of Goodman Games. "It’s a visionary world with an elegant engine that takes the best of d20 Modern and adapts it to a unique setting."

Etherscope was first developed by creators Nigel McClelland and Ben Redmond, who run PDF publisher Malladins Gate Press. Malladins Gate is best known for the DarkLore Campaign Primer and the Forgotten Heroes line of character-expansion supplements. "From its inception, the potential for Etherscope to become a truly great roleplaying game was obvious," said Ben Redmond, the game’s co-creator. "Finding the best partner for the project was an important factor in realizing this possibility. As fans of DragonMech and Broncosaurus Rex, we knew that Goodman Games would allow Etherscope to achieve its promise. Goodman Games has not let us down—Joseph Goodman has put together an excellent team to make Etherscope one of the true greats of roleplaying."

All Etherscope supplements will be available to retailers from White Wolf in their normal distributor listings, just as with the DragonMech line (a previous collaboration between Sword & Sorcery and Goodman Games). Other Goodman Games releases will continue to be published separately by Goodman Games. Etherscope will be supported by quarterly releases, with the first being the setting sourcebook The Great Metropolis in January 2006.

About Etherscope:
Etherscope is a Victorian-themed world with a rich cyberpunk overtone. In 1876, Harold Wallace discovered something that changed the world: Etherspace. The might of Victorian industry drove forward, breaking down the frontiers of technology. Steam engines became smaller, weapons became more powerful, and cybernaughtics replaced limbs lost in bloody imperial wars. Then mankind learned to step into Etherspace itself. Now it’s 1984. In this alternative world of out-of-control technology, Etherspace is the new frontier. Punk Scope riders fight evil industrialists while occult investigators war against Etherspace demons. Mysterious System agents lurk in the shadows as treasure-hunters raid Lemurian ruins for lost secrets. Jack in, scope up, and get ready, because the options for an Etherscope game are endless!

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