Simon Washbourne

UPDATE 03/21/11: File removed per author’s request.

Several years ago, myself and Dave Sharrocks met with B7 Media (the current owners of Blake’s 7) to discuss the possibility of a rpg in the Blake’s 7 universe.

Talks went quite well, so we produced a draft of a game that would hopefully form the basis of the full B7 role playing game.

However, during our meetings it became evident that there were huge licensing issues with the property and talks stalled and then all went quiet.

In the attached zip file is a word.doc of the rules together with a pdf with some artwork taken from all over the web to pretty-fy the rules a bit. There are also 2 cover designs that Dave was playing with before the whole thing went kaput.

I hope that rather than just gathering cobwebs on my hard drive, somebody might like to see the beginnings of what might have been had the B7 license been easier to negotiate.

Please don’t expect a polished &  playtestyed product. The rules probably hang together but may need some work if you are going to use them for any length of time.

The Land RPG – is a set of rules for roleplaying in The Land – a series of fantasy novels created by Stephen Donaldson. In this pdf are five character races: Stonedowner, Woodhelven, Giant, Ramen & Haruchai. There are seven classes: Fighter (Eoman & Swordmain), Lorewarden, Gravelingas, Hirebrand, Haruchai Warrior (& Bloodguard template), Ramen Hunter and Seafarer. The pdf layout isn’t pretty but there is enough there for you to get playing in the fantastic Land.

Whilst the major Houses of the Empire squabble and bicker, the Junta have made a bold dash to seize the prize that all crave Wine. Meanwhile, the Invicible is diverted from its patrol to the outer reaches of the Empire to intercept the Junta fleet and protect the people of Sand, the only known source of Wine. But Sand has a terrible secret but soon that secret will be known and it doesn’t look good…

By Simon Washbourne and Mark George

The Wood – a place where animals live, love, fight and die

Tales From The Wood (TFTW) is a role-playing game in which the players in the game take the roles of creatures which can typically be found in and around the British woodland ; creatures such as Mouse, Rabbit, Vole, Squirrel and Hedgehog. The creatures do have their own individual abilities – Mouse for example is extremely acrobatic, Hedgehog is tough and good in a fight, Mole can dig tunnels etc., but when Fox is on the hunt, or Owl has hungry owlets to feed then life becomes exceptionally difficult for everycreature. Then there is ?The Bane’ but of this great evil more later…

Half a million years ago, on the lost continent of Lemuria in the Pacific, the first civilizations arose from the red murk of barbarism. For thousands of years the first men had struggled heroically to overcome the Dragon Kings – a cruel reptilian race which had ruled the Earth during the Age of Reptiles, but at last The Thousand Year War was done and the Dragon Kings were destroyed or driven from the land.

And so began Nemedis, the first kingdom. Over the centuries her children spread slowly throughout the vast, untamed jungle-lands and across the huge mountain ranges of prehistoric Lemuria and kingdoms were founded…… and fought…… and fell. But with enormous slowness civilization began to grow and before long the first great Empire would unite these tiny warring Kingdoms into one mighty power.

It was an age of warriors, when brave men and beautiful women, savages and savants, wizards and champions struggled to carve a red path that led to the Throne of the World. It was an age of legends and heroic sagas too.

And this is one of them……

I wrote this game originally in response to a challenge on The Forge forum to design a role-playing game within 24 hours, from start to finish. I actually worked on the first draft for only 16 hours. However, the finished game was only half the game I really wanted, so I have continued to add to it ? adding more skills, rules for wound recovery, expanded weapon tables, updating the character sheet, adding some rules for gaining hero points after adventures and some adventure and mission ideas.

I decided on a traditional style of role-playing game, where characters are created by assigning attributes and skills and so on because the old-fashioned feel of the game seemed to warrant it.

The game is inspired by recent events in Iraq, The Eagle has Landed (book by Jack Higgins and movie starring Michael Caine), The Secret Army, lots of movies about the resistance in France and so on, and an old West End Games rpg by Greg Costikyan called The Price of Freedom. I suppose I can?t talk about the HomeGuard without also mentioning Dad?s Army and although this game is not a comedy, much is owed to that famous British sit com. It is pure fantasy albeit with a historical base and should be read and should be played as such.

The role-playing game of Marvel City’s not-so-super superheroes, in the style of The Mystery Men. This game was conceived, written and laid out within a 24 hour period as part of a game design challenge.

The sun, sea, sand and sex rpg.

This is the fun role-playing game of beach babes and lifesaving hunks posing and playing their way through improbable adventures on the golden sands of Malibu or Hawaii.

As if I need mention, this role-playing game is inspired by the tv series of a similar name.

It is a tongue-in-cheek game and can be fun for those nights when you want to play, but have limited time or simply want to have a laugh.

Character generation takes minutes, the rules are are as simple as the tv series plots and there are 17 episode ideas in the rulebook!

The role playing game of dreams and nightmares. This game was conceived, written and laid out within a 24 hour period as part of a game design challenge. I will work on it from time to time, but the original will stay here for comparison.