Defenders of the New Century RPG

Defenders of the New Century is a turn-of-the-century tabletop RPG about the dynamics of power in a fictional world reminiscent of our own early 20th century which is beset by monstrosities that have emerged from interdimensional Gates. Built with a unique, classless system which combines scientific magic, period-accurate firearms, brutal melee combat, and wild, player-made superpowers.

The game is nearing the end of development, and will be coming to Kickstarter on October 21st. You can take a look and follow here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1206275904/donc

Free version of these Quickstart rules

More information on the game is given below, and our 121 page quickstart guide is available here for purchase here. Alternatively, by signing up on our website here: https://www.defendersofthenewcentury.com/ you can receive a welcome e-mail with the quickstart rules for free!  

Game features:

Contracts

Each character has a Contract, a player-made superpower, balanced by the GM in a simple system designed to maximise flexibility and creativity whilst ensuring no character has too little or too much power.

Dice system

A hybrid dice system, utilising a d6 success system for specialised skills as you explore and navigate the obstacles of the world, and switching into a d20 dice system for combat, representing the dynamic chaos of combat.

Gates

Flexible ‘Gate’ system, which allows the GM to introduce horrors of their own design from far beyond the world the players or their character’s know. Do they contain ferocious beasts, a gateway to the distant future, or contain invading aliens that arrive in great and terrible machines? You decide.

Character customisation

Emphasis on mechanical balance in a classless system which features 150+ character Qualities and 8 Schools of Magic with which to customise your characters. Beyond experience, your characters can also be improved by the Research Task system, where their skills and proficiencies naturally improve as the game goes on.

Inclusivity

Play any character from all walks of life; different sexes; different genders; different races; different ideologies; different classes; differing abilities; Defenders of the New Century is a game that is meant to be played as a diverse team of characters, and the only way to do that is to embrace diversity in all its forms, and be prepared to be something different.

Open, fluid combat

Played as a gridless RPG with multiple interacting Spells, Contracts and environmental effects, combat in Defenders of the New Century quickly evolves into something fluid and unique. The only way to destroy your enemies is to interact with your allies as much as you can, achieving the heights of what a Contractor is capable of.

The Land of Soluna

Contains the base setting of Soluna, a fictional turn-of-the-century world that explores themes reminiscent of our own early 20th Century— classism, capitalism, colonialism, urbanisation and the dangerous rise of fascism. This setting comes with its own Gate system, characters, nations, and a sample campaign that can be used as it stands, or modified into your own setting.

Art

Contains over 75 pieces of drawn art depicting the world of Soluna and its denizens, giving you ideas for your own characters, NPCs, and nations. More than 40 of the pieces have been done by the famous Sonia Leong, with several background pieces completed by the talented Helen Norcott.