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RPGs / Only two days left on the Polaris RPG Kickstarter !!

« on: April 03, 2016, 10:33:08 PM »

After almost two years of preparation, Black Book Editions is proud to announce the launch of the Polaris RPG Kickstarter.



Link to the Kickstarter project page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/blackbook/polaris-rpg/description

Please join us in this adventure and help fund this beautiful game, for the first time available in English!

The Polaris RPG is set in a far future where the world above ground has become uninhabitable for the human species. Human beings have found refuge in the depths of the ocean, where they try to somehow survive in spite of the many difficulties they encounter in this hostile environment. The species’ degeneration (characterized by the increasing number of sterile individuals and various genetic mutations), the perpetual wars that have ravaged entire colonies, the monsters, and, above all, the difficulty of exploiting natural resources are the immediate problems faced by this civilization.

In this new world of silence and darkness, players can choose to become agents of one of the underwater factions, mercenaries working to keep afloat, or freelancers trying to establish their own communities. No matter which side they pick, they will discover that nothing is completely black or white, and that humankind will need to unite against a common adversity if it wants to survive. Meanwhile, they will have to fight against all odds and gear up as best they can, buying precious breathing mixes or fluids. They will need to tinker, patch up, and stitch together their submarines. Luck may smile upon them when they discover brand-new equipment or one of the stashes left behind by the ominous Empire of the Geneticians. Their fate will be much darker if they happen to stumble upon raiders or pirates. Adventurers will, however, get a chance to gain fame and even influence the world’s destiny through their actions and discoveries. Humankind is in need of heroes, and empires can sometimes be born from simple ideals. All these elements and many others make up the backdrop of this universe in which one great mystery prevails: the Polaris Flux.

In addition to funding the project (which we'd love you to obviously), you can also help us by spreading the word! Please forward this information to your friends and contacts, share the Kickstarter's page on social media (Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Pinterest, Reddit, Tumbler, etc). Black Book Editions is not established (yet) outside of the French speaking world, so any help will be not only greatly appreciate, but will also benefit all the backers by unlocking great Stretch Goals.

Feel free to join us and ask questions on the Kickstarter page. Also remember that, until March 17th (two days from now), you can still download for free the beta preview of the Core Rulebook:1 for Polaris RPG from DriveThruRPG (link), 280 gorgeous pages describing the world and game system of the science-fiction, post-apocalyptical roleplaying game of the Deep!

Link to the DriveThruRPG (until March 17th): http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/177110/POLARIS-RPG--Core-Rulebook-1-Beta-05?src=slider_view

Only Two days left on this Kickstarter! It is fully funded, and the unlocked Stretch Goals have greatly improved the "bang for your buck" for backers. If you haven't joined the project yet, please do so now! The next few Stretch Goals are scheduled every 2,000 euros, so they are going to go very fast. The very last scheduled stretch goals will grant for free the PDF of the next Polaris RPG supplement when it is released in 2017: Creatures (a 200+ pages compendium of the beasts and monsters of the Deep).

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RPGs / Download the preview version of the upcoming POLARIS RPG, soon on Kickstarter

« on: March 13, 2016, 05:05:30 PM »

Black Book Editions, publisher of the French versions of Pathfinder, Savage Worlds and Shadowrun, is about to start a Kickstarter campaign to fund Polaris RPG, a science-fiction post-apocalyptic roleplaying game in which humankind has found refuge in the oceans. This French RPG is one of the most popular "Made in France" RPGs, and will be soon available in English for for the first time.

The Polaris RPG is set in a far future where the world above ground has become uninhabitable for the human species. Human beings have found refuge in the depths of the ocean, where they try to somehow survive in spite of the many difficulties they encounter in this hostile environment. The species’ degeneration (characterized by the increasing number of sterile individuals and various genetic mutations), the perpetual wars that have ravaged entire colonies, the monsters, and, above all, the difficulty of exploiting natural resources are the immediate problems faced by this civilization.

In this new world of silence and darkness, players can choose to become agents of one of the underwater factions, mercenaries working to keep afloat, or freelancers trying to establish their own communities. No matter which side they pick, they will discover that nothing is completely black or white, and that humankind will need to unite against a common adversity if it wants to survive. Meanwhile, they will have to fight against all odds and gear up as best they can, buying precious breathing mixes or fluids. They will need to tinker, patch up, and stitch together their submarines. Luck may smile upon them when they discover brand-new equipment or one of the stashes left behind by the ominous Empire of the Geneticians. Their fate will be much darker if they happen to stumble upon raiders or pirates. Adventurers will, however, get a chance to gain fame and even influence the world’s destiny through their actions and discoveries. Humankind is in need of heroes, and empires can sometimes be born from simple ideals. All these elements and many others make up the backdrop of this universe in which one great mystery prevails: the Polaris Flux.

The Polaris RPG gives Players and Game Masters the possibility to play in different ways: try to survive in the darkness of the seas, be part of the perpetual wars, and discover the mysteries that prevail in the oceans or take part in the political intrigues between ambitious nations.

The official release date of the Polaris RPG Kickstarter is March 15th 2016 (in a couple days only).

To help you discover its universe and game system, Black Book Edition has made the beta version of the Core Rulebook:1 available for free on DriveThru RPG!  This download will be available until March 17th 2016, so make sure to download you copy right away! This 280 pages, full-colour and fully illustrated document, will be part of the two book set that will include everything a GM and his group need to start playing in the exciting and dangerous world of Polaris RPG.

You can also find the latest news, sign-up for the Polaris Newsletter and download a quickstart guide PDF on the official Polaris RPG website.

Please let me know if you have any question.

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RPGs / Wurm, the prehistoric Roleplaying Game - Now in English

« on: November 03, 2015, 03:14:07 PM »

Editions Icare is proud to present a French role playing game with a truly original theme, already loved by players for the quality of its writing and its illustrations, now in English language for the first time ever. This funding campaign aims to back the professional translation of the work, and its distribution in the USA and the United Kingdom. Our publishing company, now eight years old, is specialized in publishing independent role-playing games with strong themes. We would therefore like to invite you to discover Würm, a role playing game that takes place at the very origins of humanity, which will surely strike a chord with both new and experienced players alike.

Humanity before history began, thirty five thousand years ago, in the middle of an ice age…

Link to Kickstarter Campaign

When you play Würm, it will be up to you to imagine what life was like for our ancestors, and give YOUR OWN vision of this time before time. During your adventures, whether simply surviving or going on perilous hunts or legendary quests, your characters will gain strength, wisdom and prestige by exploring unknown territories, daring to enter the darkness of mysterious caves, seeking out the powers of ancient spirits, or challenging the creatures of the night, the ice and the fire…

All the rules you need to play Würm are included in the core rulebook, detailed over nine chapters. These rules were designed to be simple and clear. For the most part, they only require a few 6-sided dice. Most of all, they were designed to be well adapted to the atmosphere of the Stone Age. For example, to develop the characters, you won’t need skills and stats, but a number of Strengths and Weaknesses that are connected to specific totems. Additionally, Talents and Secret techniques represent the abilities that a character will have to learn, such as painting, shamanism or certain combat techniques.

The game rules have been developed to be as close as possible to established archeological sources, carefully relaying what we know of the technical knowledge, the environment and part of the culture of our ancestors. However, the world of Würm also leaves room for a touch of fantasy and adventure: you will therefore find rules that allow you to play with the real powers of totem spirits, as well as a whole range of fantastical creatures living along side the mammoths and the cave bears, such as fire spirits, witches and glacier giants…

To let you dive right into the prehistoric adventure of the world of Würm, the core rulebook ends with four introduction scenarios, each one providing a specific atmosphere, such as adventure, investigation, melancholy, or humor. One scenario is especially designed for the initiation of younger players!

So prepare your flint or ivory-tipped spears, and make sure your clan and your totem spirits are behind you. The adventure begins the second you step outside your camp…Editions Icare is proud to present a French role playing game with a truly original theme, already loved by players for the quality of its writing and its illustrations, now in English language for the first time ever. This funding campaign aims to back the professional translation of the work, and its distribution in the USA and the United Kingdom. Our publishing company, now eight years old, is specialized in publishing independent role-playing games with strong themes. We would therefore like to invite you to discover Würm, a role playing game that takes place at the very origins of humanity, which will surely strike a chord with both new and experienced players alike. Humanity before history began, thirty five thousand years ago, in the middle of an ice age… In this long-forgotten time, many powerful creatures roamed far and wide over a vast territory covered in steppes and taiga, reaching from the white mountains to the raging sea: mammoths, aurochs, bison, giant deer, cave bears and cave lions. Among these huge creatures, two species of humans live in small communities of hunter-gatherers: the robust Bear Men (Neanderthals) and the taller Long Men (Cro-Magnon, or Cavemen).

All the rules you need to play Würm are included in the core rulebook, detailed over nine chapters. These rules were designed to be simple and clear. For the most part, they only require a few 6-sided dice. Most of all, they were designed to be well adapted to the atmosphere of the Stone Age. For example, to develop the characters, you won’t need skills and stats, but a number of Strengths and Weaknesses that are connected to specific totems. Additionally, Talents and Secret techniques represent the abilities that a character will have to learn, such as painting, shamanism or certain combat techniques. The game rules have been developed to be as close as possible to established archeological sources, carefully relaying what we know of the technical knowledge, the environment and part of the culture of our ancestors. However, the world of Würm also leaves room for a touch of fantasy and adventure: you will therefore find rules that allow you to play with the real powers of totem spirits, as well as a whole range of fantastical creatures living along side the mammoths and the cave bears, such as fire spirits, witches and glacier giants… To let you dive right into the prehistoric adventure of the world of Würm, the core rulebook ends with four introduction scenarios, each one providing a specific atmosphere, such as adventure, investigation, melancholy, or humor. One scenario is especially designed for the initiation of younger players! So prepare your flint or ivory-tipped spears, and make sure your clan and your totem spirits are behind you. The adventure begins the second you step outside your camp…

Please make sure to let us know if you have any question.

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RPGs / Recruiting French to English translators and proofreaders for an RPG project

« on: September 06, 2013, 07:19:12 PM »

About me : I have been an avid RPG player/GM for the last 32 years, and for the last couple years, I have been a freelance translator (between French and English) and proofreader, working mostly for the RPG gaming industry.

The project : Black Book Éditions, A well-established French RPG publishing company is currently planning on translating some of their original French products into English. The books will belong to two separate game lines

   Pavillon Noir : a historical game in the age of piracy. It’s probably the most accurate game on the “pirates” theme, but it also can also include (at the GM’s discretion) elements of voodoo magic.

   Polaris : a science-fiction post-apocalyptical game, where mankind has found refuge under water. Thousands of years after our time, new powers have emerged (no pun intended, they do actually stay underwater) and a strange phenomenon called the Polaris Effect is changing life as we know it.

Considering the scope of these projects (two game lines, multiple 300+ pages books, high density content), I am putting together a team of translators and possibly proofreaders (translators may end up cross-proofreading their team members’ work). In addition to translating and proofreading, I will coordinate the project and act as a liaison with the editor. These projects are huge, involving quite a few books and would get a team of translators quite busy for more than a year. The team would probably work on Pavillon noir at first, then move on to Polaris.

The work done will be paid following the current standards for translation in the RPG industry (rated per word translated). You also get to hold a realized gorgeous product with your name in the credits (the French publishers leading this projects have very high quality standards) and can brag about it!

Each translator will handle part of a book, and it is important that their part gets completed in a timely manner so that it can move to the next stage of proofreading or layout on time. How many pages each translator or proofreader can produce each week will of course depend on how much time they can dedicate to the task (which will change from one person to the other), but it is important to be realistic about “how much you can eat” before starting the project.

What I am looking for:

   Translators : Bilingual or native English speakers  with an excellent level in written French and good English writing skills.
   Proofreaders : excellent English writing skills, French skills are a plus but not mandatory.
   Motivated and enthusiastic people that can see a project through.
   Experience as a translator or proofreader/editor is not required, but is a plus.
   Liking RPG games and understanding how they work is a must.

What you need :

   A computer with a text editing software (fairly recent Word or OpenOffice are fine).
   An internet connection to share documents and access an online project management tool. Depending on availability, we may also try to do monthly Skype or Google+ chats (with audio or not) to talk about process and discuss translation terms and process.

I would like to know how many people would be interested with this proposal, and we can then discuss the details one on one as they get fleshed out. Please contact me via PM if you are interested.

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RPGs / Interface Zero 2.0 Kickstarter is out !

« on: January 15, 2013, 12:38:41 PM »

Hi, I'm just a fan of Interface Zero (and Cyberpunk games in general, since Cybeprupnk 2013) and I've been playing Interface Zero (powered by Savage Worlds Deluxe) since it was out in 2010.

Gun Metal Games listened a lot to players to improve the game over time (through the release of addons such as Hacking 2.0) and just started a Kickstarter for the second edition of IZ : LINK