Betelgeuse: An Otherworldly Teaser...

Normally, we're reviewing new releases under our own P&P Open Supplement License.  This time, however, we're not so much reviewing as previewing, and very lucky we are, for the author has kindly provided us with periodic updates to a release that holds potential of literally otherworldly proportions...      

Red Skies Over Betelgeuse, the upcoming release by Bryan Steward of the great Black Paperclip Games!

This thing is a first.  Specifically, the first campaign setting commercially available for P&P.  Most fitting, because Black Paperclip released the first commercially available adventure module as well (The Uncanny Abode), which was great stuff!

And so, not to give too much away (and turning this thing into a full-blown review), here's an overview:

Sometime in our future, humanity (some, at least) flee a dying planet for greener pastures.  The new world they select is inhabited already (who knew), and just when things start to settle down, invaders arrive and blow things up.  These are repelled, and those left behind assimilate just in time for yet another invasion, and if that isn't enough, the planet is slowly dying!

This illustration, from Pollard Studios, tells
the whole story better than we could!

Red Skies is set in a fading world, where adventurers explore forgotten, ancient cities, fight terrifying flora and fauna, and get rich on the treasures of the past.  Familiar territory, but with a massive twist.  Old tech and so-called magic both exist by side, but in a whole new and exciting way.  This isn't the cyberpunk of the Shadowrun game or the advanced orcs of Warhammer...

It's something completely different and quite refreshing!  You'll know what we mean when it gets released!

Steward deftly exploits the simplicity of P&P and re-imagines its magical subject matter in clever ways, re-skinning the game for players and referees alike.  For instance, there are new spells to cast alongside the old, and with some new restrictions that will make magicians really have to think!  Savants also get some cool new powers and abilities, and all of this is well-explained. 

So be on the lookout for this exciting release.  A world where cycle-riding gobs face off against tough "dwarves" and hive-minded, and otherworldy "elves".  A world where magicians build strange towers to harness their powers, and everyone fears the deadly power of the planet's lingering radiation!

And for those who appreciate Steward's conversational and fun writing style, it's all there!  Oh, and expect a visual treat, since the incomparable Pollard Studios is supplying a full color cover illustration to complement Bryan's interior.  That said, it's gonna be color inside and out - another first to get excited about!