Holmesian Musings and Ripping Yarns
We recently spoke with spokespersons for Clockwork Publishing about the latest supplement for the tabletop RPG Space:1889 -- a perfect fit for science fiction fans that like Victorian elements sprinkled into their space adventures. Enjoy!
Could you tell our readers about the production history of the supplement? Mercury was always like a step-child in the original Space: 1889 material: There simply wasn't much material published about the planet, probably owing to its harsh environment. But this was all the more incentive for us to do a whole supplement about the planet, since you could kind of bring the different pieces together like a puzzle and fill in the blanks between them with new ideas.
Who are the creative team members behind it? The original Space: 1889 has been invented Frank Chadwick of course, but this new line is being written completely by a German team of authors headed by the line-editors Stefan Küppers and Dominic Hladek. Dominic was also one of the editors for the Mercury supplement, together with Uli Lindner. Most of the authors who are working on our Space: 1889 line have experience in other German roleplaying games like Das Schwarze Auge (translated as The Dark Eye) or Splittermond.
What can players expect from the content? The Mercury supplement comprises a detailed description of the planet, its bizarre landscapes
and alien wildlife, the few human settlements in the Twilight Zone along the World River, most importantly the Princess Christiana Station, as well as the natural resources that can be found on the planet - and are sought after by many an Earth power. Mercury bears many a mystery waiting to be uncovered by daring explorers. Players will find sample characters and expedition gear suitable for the inhospitable environment of the Hot and Dark Side of Mercury, whereas Gamemasters can use the adventure scenario "Journey on the World River" to have their player characters dive right into the primeval wilderness of the Twilight Zone! How does it differ from the source material for Venus and Mars? Mercury is a world of extremes and as of yet mostly uncharted teritiory. With the exception of the Twilight Zone along the World River, the planet is basically inhabitable to humans - which makes it the perfect playground for adventurous scientists hoping to make a name for themselves discovering the many secrets and mysteries of the planet, but also soldiers-of-fortune searching for valuable resources. For all prospectors and explorers who consider the jungles of Venus too tame and the Earth's North pole too boring, Mercury is the next thrilling step! We are currently working on the translation of the German supplement on the planet of Mars, but there are no definite plans beyond that. Luna, the Earth's moon, would be the next logical step (although technically not a planet, of course ;-) ) since this has also been already released in German.
