Victorian Adventure Enthusiast's Expansive Guide to Victorian RPGs:

12-29-08

Download this Guide as a text-only PDF

VICTORIANA/STEAMPUNK

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"Action! Classics" Gold Rush Games
"The War of the Worlds" 2003
Based on the H.G. Wells classic novel of alien invasion. D20 & Action System!
http://www.goldrushgames.com/start/

 

"Adventures In Oz"

Fantasy Roleplaying Beyond the Yellow Brick Road
F. Douglas Wall
2009

http://www.adventuresinoz-rpg.com/

 

"Age of Empire"

A Role-Playing Game of Mad Victorian Fantasy Epitaph Studios 1995
Written by Gareth-Michael Skarka this game is very hard to find as it was taken off the market due to a settlement with Microsoft over the name.

 

"All Flesh Must Be Eaten"

the Zombie Horror Survival RPG Eden Studios
"Worlds of the Dead" 2006
Contains the Deadworld "Frankenstein 1935" where an undead Queen Victoria still reigns at 116.
http://allflesh.com/flesh.html

 

"Amazing Engine" TSR
"For Faerie, Queen & Country" 1993
A game of Victorian fantasy & fables.

 

"a/state" Contested Ground Studios 2004
Try to survive in The City. A massive, grim, decaying neo-Victorian sprawl with analytical engines that use microscopic mechanical parts, organic body mods, and the surreal supernatural of the Shifters. Charles Dickens + Clive Baker= China Mieville?
http://www.contestedground.co.uk/astint.html

 

"Broken Gears " A Game of Animistic Steampunk Cambridge University Role-playing Society 2005
A steampunk game where the more complex a machine, the more intelligent it naturally is. Free.
http://www.r-hansen.com/broken/

 

"Call of Cthulhu" Chaosium
"Cthulhu by Gaslight" Horror Roleplaying in 1890s England 1986
One of the earliest RPG resources for the Victorian Era and very influential. Out of print but the standard COC rulebook does have some tools for running a late Victorian game.
"Dark Designs" Occult Terrors in 1890's England Adventures
"The Gaslight Equipment Catalogue" A Compendium of Various Useful Articles and Sundries 2007
"Return of the Ripper" Adventure 2007
"Sacraments of Evil" Six Adventures of Victorian Horror
http://www.chaosium.com/

 

"Castle Falkenstein" High Adventure in the Steam Age R. Talsorian Games 1994
"a world of swashbuckling fantasy, high romance and magickal technology". The FIRST game to put steamtech and fantasy together. Interesting, unique game mechanics."
Available as a pdf from RPGnow:
http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=10171&
"Book of Sigils" Reveals the secrets of the world's Magickal Orders
"Comme Il Faut" A Guide to the Stylish Life of New Europa
"Memoirs of Auberon" Reveals the origins & nature of the enigmatic Fairie
"Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci" Reveals the secrets of Magickal Engines
"Six Guns & Sorcery" The United States and the wild west for Castle Falkenstein
"Steam Age" Journal of Steam Age Technology and Invention
http://www.talsorian.com/talsorian/NEWWEBSITE/CASTLE.html
(See also: "GURPS Castle Falkenstein")

 

"Core Elements" James D. Hargrove/Zombie Nirvana Games
"Strange Aeons" 2005
Mind melting cosmic horrors stalk London circa 1886. Uses a modified version of D20/OGL.
http://www.zombienirvana.com/?page_id=13
"Strange Aeons" free online:
http://www.zombienirvana.com/miscdebris/Core-StrangeAeonsRevised.pdf

"Daleth" Steammasters 2003
"A gothic world floating through fantasy, horror and steampunk with a romantic Biedermeier/Victorian echo."
Free, uses the Intrigue & Illusions house system: http://www.xs4all.nl/~vanip/daleth/light.htm

"Dark Continent" Adventure and Exploration in Darkest Africa New Breed 2001
Historical Victorian explorations in Africa.
Now Available through Chaosium

http://catalog.chaosium.com/product_info.php?products_id=336

 

"Dragonmech" Goodman Games 2004
"Medieval fantasy mechs powered by steam, magic or the slave labor of thousands". D20/OGL
http://www.goodmangames.com/dragonmech.php

 

"Etherscope"

Etherspace adventures in an age of industry, intrigue, and industrialism. Goodman Games 2005
Steampunk meets cyberpunk in this urban fantasy setting with psychic technology and eugenics.
"The Great Metropolis" Background on the setting's mega-city
"Just a Delivery" Adventure
"Lemurian Candidate" Adventure
"Mysteries of the Occult" Supernatural Secrets
"Upload: Etherpunk" Expanded Character information
http://www.goodman-games.com/preview-Etherscope.php

 

"Fellowship of the White Star"

A Game of Animistic Steampunk Thenodrin Presents 2007.
"uses d20 RPG rules and is set in semi-historic Edwardian earth 1905-1914 with a horror atmosphere that is hidden from the view of the common people."
http://www.fellowshipwhitestar.com/

 

"Forgotten Futures"

The Scientific Romance Role Playing Game Marcus Rowland 1993-Present
Nine full collections of worldbooks as well as adventures, period stories and illustrations. Available free on Mr. Rowland's website or for purchase as a CD-ROM. The CD-ROM contains even more material for Victorian era games. INDISPENSABLE.
http://www.forgottenfutures.com/

 

"FUDGE" Grey Ghost Games
"Terra Incognita: The NAGS Society Handbook" 2001
Exploration, intrigue and mystery featuring characters that are half adventurer, half college professor.
http://www.fudgerpg.com/products.html
http://nagssociety.com/

 

"Full Light, Full Steam"

A Roleplaying Game with Character Kallisti Press 2007
"a steampunk space opera... Join the Royal Astronomical Navy!"
http://kallistipress.com/?q=taxonomy/term/1

 

"G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. (Glorious Adventures in Space Loosely Involving General Historical Times" LMW Works
"Adventures and Expeditions by G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T." 2003
RPG based on the G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. skirmish miniatures rules.
http://www.gaslightrules.com/

 

"Gear Antique" Tsukuda Hobby 1991
Japanese steampunk RPG that also features magic and vampires... as well as a Nazi Germany.
"Gear Antique Renaissance" 2nd edition Game Field 1999
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gear_Antique

 

"Ghosts of Albion"

Darkness is their inheritance. Eden Studios 2007
Based on the British books & animation. "a Victorian-era tale of magic & demons, ghosts & vampires, love & lust."
http://www.edenstudios.net/ghosts/GhostsDemo.pdf

 

"GURPS" Steve Jackson Games
"GURPS Goblins" Life is nasty, brutish, and short. So are you. 1996
A twisted London circa 1830 populated by complete scum: Goblins like the characters.
"GURPS Steampunk" 2000
Very detailed, award winning information for steampunk games.
"GURPS Steam-Tech" 2001
More gadgets, gizmos and infernal devices for steampunk games.
"GURPS Atlantis" 2001
Includes the "Lords of the Deep" setting
"GURPS Castle Falkenstein" 2000
GURPS translation of the Castle Falkenstein setting.
"GURPS Castle Falkenstein: The Ottoman Empire" 2002
Stats in both GURPS and the original Falkenstein system. Never published for the original Castle Falkenstein.
"GURPS Horror" 2002
Contains the "Blood in the Craters" steampunk/horror setting based on H.G. Wells "War of the Worlds".
"GURPS Screampunk" 2001
Steampunk meets horror
http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/

 

"Hex"

Mysteries of the Nineteenth Century Studio Mammoth 2006
Currently only in French, but they're promising an English language version.
Click here

 

"Holmes & Company"

E. Elle 1986
Italian language RPG for Victorian mysteries written by Mario Corte and Antonelle Lotronto.

 

"Imperial Age"

Adamant Entertainment 2007
Victorian era/Steampunk supplements for D20/OGL.
"The GameMaster's Guidebook to Victorian London"
"Imperial Age Magick"
"Imperial Age: Spiritualism"
Also three Advanced Class packages: Alienist, Monster Hunter and Scientific Detective.
http://adamant.rpgnow.com/index.php?cPath=272_4158

 

"Iron Kingdoms"

Full Metal Fantasy (tm) Privateer Press 2005
Traditional Fantasy with steamtech, gunpowder and Steamjacks (steam driven mechs). D20/OGL
"Five Fingers: Point of Deceit" Urban setting
"Liber Mechanika" Mechanikal artifice handbook
"Monsternomicon" Monsters of the Iron Kingdoms
"The Witchfire Trilogy" Adventures
http://www.privateerpress.com/ironkingdoms/default.php?x=about

 

"Legends & Lairs: Sorcery & Steam"

A Resource for Steampunk Fantasy Adventure Fantasy Flight Games 2003
Add Steamtech to your D&D game. D20/OGL
http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/dd40.html

 

"Magicians of England" being a role-playing game, sometimes humorous, ever surprising Tony Dowler 2007
Influenced by the novel "Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell"
Incomplete, but free:
http://planet-thirteen.com/Magicians.aspx

 


"Masque of the Red Death and Other Tales" TSR 1994
TSR's transfer of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Ravenloft setting to an 1890s "Gothic Earth". Included "A Guide to
Gothic Earth", map
and three adventures.
"Masque of the Red Death" White Wolf/Swords & Sorcery 2004
A hardcover single volume that reanimates "Masque.." for the D20/OGL system.
http://secure1.white-wolf.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=533

 

"Mekton Z"

"The War of the Worlds" Atomic Rocket Games 2005
A free mini campaign for Mekton based on the H.G. Wells classic.
http://www.atomicrocketgames.com/Downloads/wotwmekton.pdf

 

"OGL Steampunk"

Mongoose Publishing 2004
Complete RPG using D20/OGL.
http://www.amazon.com/OGL-Steampunk-Alejandro-Melchor/dp/1904577849/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-1642137-7073540?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1187412169&sr=8-1

 

"The Original Flatland Role Playing Game"

Based on "Flatland" by Edwin A. Abbott Marcus Rowland
Based on (and including) "Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions" a novella by Edwin A. Abbott published in 1884. This is the story of a square and his explorations in, and then beyond, a literally two dimensional world.
Currently available as a download from e23:

http://e23.sjgames.com/item.html?id=ROW003

 

 

"Passages"

Adventures Penned by Literary Giants Blue Devil Games 2007
The great literary works of the Victorian era are not works of fiction at all but are actual travelogues.
http://www.bluedevilgames.com/passages.htm

 

"Perfect"

A world where color is banned, where love is against the law... Inciteful Entertainment 2006
Characters are criminals fighting against an oppresive Neo-Victorian despotism.
http://www.incitefulentertainment.com/perfect.php

 

"Private Eye: Detektiv-Rollenspiel im Viktorianischen England"

B&B Productions 1990
German language crime investigations in Victorian England

 

"Rippers"

Everybody knows there's no such thing as monsters... You know better. Great White Games 2005
Slay supernatural horrors and extract their essences in the Victorian era. Savage Worlds system.
http://www.peginc.com/Games/Savage%20Worlds/Rippers.htm

 

"Shadows in the Fog" Aurora Games 2003
"Occult horror set in Jack the Ripper's London". Free.
http://shadowsinthefog.com/bin/view.pl/SITF/WebHome

 

 

"Space: 1889"

Science-Fiction Role Playing in a More Civilized Time GDW 1988
"Everything Jules Verne could have written. Everything H.G. Wells should have written. Everything A. Conan Doyle thought of but never published because it was too fantastic." Frank Chadwick's landmark game, the FIRST Scientific Romance/Steampunk RPG.
"Beastmen of Mars & Canal Priests of Bars" Adventures
"Cloud Captains of Mars & Conklin's Atlas of the Worlds" Biography & Geography
"Tales from the Ether & More Tales from the Ether" Adventures
"Transactions of the Royal Martian Geographic Society Volumes 1-4" Amateur gaming journal
Currently published by Heliograph Inc.
http://www.heliograph.com/buy.shtml

 

 

"Steampunk Musha"

Victoriental Adventures Politically Incorrect Games 2006
Fantasy, steamtech, cyber trope mash-up. An alternate setting for "Iron Gauntlets".
http://www.steampunkmusha.com/rpg.php

 

"To Challenge Tomorrow" Ragnarok Press
"London by Night" 1984
Occult Victorian London. Boxset with: 12 page guidebook, 20 page scenario collection, and maps.

 

"TORG" West End Games
"Orrorsh" Included in the original boxed setting. Sourcebook 1991
A "Reality" where Victorian colonialism is a ploy used to spread terror and madness by an horrific overlord.
"Creatures of Orrorsh" 1992
http://www.westendgames.com/torg.asp

 

"Uchronia 1890"
A good looking, free Steampunk game. in French.
http://uchronia.free.fr/

English translation:
http://victorianadventureenthusiast.com/uchroniatrans.html

 

"Unhallowed Metropolis"

The Gas-Mask Chic Role-Playing Game of Neo-Victorian Horror Eos Press 2007
Grim storytelling in a world plagued by the undead and Neo-Victorian vice.
http://newdarkage.net/

 

 

"Vanishing Point"

A Dark World of Madness and Illusion Sane Studios 2005
Surreal feel with an oppressive Victorian government.
http://www.sanestudios.co.uk/

 

"Vaporoare" Vaporoare Development Team
"where Jules Verne wrote technical manuals for ether machines instead of fiction; Mary Shelley penned the autobiography of
Dr. Frankenstein and H. P. Lovecraft didn't know what he was getting into. It is the world described by Edgar Allan Poe, Lord
Dunsany and J. R. R. Tolkien."
http://www.angelfire.com/ga4/vaporoare/

 

"Victoriana"

A Role-Playing Game of Vile Villainy and Glorious Adventure Heresy Gaming 2003
Urban London Steampunk meets traditional fantasy (dwarves, sorcery, etc). Strong emphasis on class, society and revolution.
"Dragon in the Smoke" Adventure
"Hounds of Hate" Adventure
"Rise of the Red God" Adventure
"The Smoke 1867" A complete guide to the saloons and rookeries of London.
"Victoriana" 2nd Edition Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd 2007
Features an "all new rules system, adventure, and expanded detail on background and character".
http://www.cubicle-7.com/victoriana.htm

 

"Victorian Adventure" Kestral Design 1983
The FIRST published Victorian era RPG. Written by Stephen Smith, it was an historical adventure and mystery game.

 

"Vis Imperia Victoriana" by Colin D. Speirs/Brittania Game Designs Ltd.
Emphasizes classic adventure stories ala Haggard and Kipling.
PDF:
http://www.britgamedesigns.co.uk/download/victess.pdf

 

"World of Darkness" White Wolf
"Victorian Age: Vampire" 2002
"Vampire: The Masquerade" during the Victorian era.
"Victorian Age: Vampire Companion"
"Victorian Age: London by Night"
http://www.white-wolf.com/

 

 

OLD WEST

 

"Aces & Eights: The Shattered Frontier"

Kenzer & Company 2007
Western adventure in an alternate North America where the frontier is claimed by the USA, Mexico, the CSA, the Republic of Texas and Deseret. You might as well visit independent Sequoyah and France's Nouveau Orleans while you're there.
http://www.kenzerco.com/aces_n_eights/

 

"Action! System" Gold Rush Games
"Gunslingers: Wild West Action" 2003
http://www.goldrushgames.com/start/

 

"All Flesh Must Be Eaten"

Eden Studios
"Fistful o' Zombies" 2003
The wild west supplement for the Zombie Horror Survival RPG. Written by Shane Lacy Hensley of "Deadlands" fame.
http://allflesh.com/flesh.html

 

"Boot Hill" TSR 1975
The first western RPG. Focused primarily on gun-fighting.

 

"Deadlands: The Weird West"

The Spaghetti Western- with Meat! Pinnacle Entertainment Group 1996
Over-the-top horror, fantasy and steampunk meet for a shoot-out in the weirdest west. A classic.
Over 40 supplements and adventures are available. Browse them here:

http://www.smithandrobards.com/index.php?cPath=1_18
"Deadlands D20" 2001
"Deadlands: Reloaded" 2005
The weird west rises again with the Savage Worlds game system.
http://www.peginc.com/games/
(See also: "GURPS Deadlands")

 

"Dogs in the Vineyard"

Roleplaying God's Watchdogs in a West that never was. Lumpley Games 2005
Award winning game of pseudo-Mormon faith magic in a fantasy frontier setting.
http://www.lumpley.com/games/dogsources.html

 

"Gunslingers & Gamblers"

FJ Gaming 2006
Available in a unique system or for the Streamline system.
http://www.fjgaming.com/

 

"GURPS" Steve Jackson Games
"GURPS Deadlands: Weird West" 2001
GURPS translation of the Deadlands setting.
"GURPS Deadlands: Dime Novel 1: Aces and Eights" Adventure
"GURPS Deadlands: Dime Novel 2: Undead or Alive" Adventure
"GURPS Deadlands: Hexes" Spell collection
"GURPS Deadlands: Varmints" Monster collection
"GURPS Old West" 1991
Often cited as the best historical western gaming source ever.
http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/

 

"Sidewinder: Wild West Adventure"

Citizen Games 2002
Emphasis on cinematic western action. D20 Modern.
"Sidewinder: Recoiled" Green Ronin 2004
Click here

 

"vs Outlaws" Ronin Arts 2008
"mini-RPG of adventure in the Old West the way we think we remember it, where tough hombres dispense two-fisted justice
with barrels blazin’... packs a ton of fun into one of the smallest RPGs ever produced."
http://www.roninarts.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=5_14&products_id=490

 

"Western"

Lancelot 1989
Historical western game, unique system, Swedish.
http://www.algonet.se/~khelatar/khe/lance-e.html
Now published by Rollspel
http://www.rollspel.com/

 

"Western HERO" Hero Games 1991
Old West information for the HERO system.
http://www.herogames.com/home.htm

 

"World of Darkness" White Wolf
"Werewolf: The Wild West" 1997
Garou Apocalypse with six-shooters.
http://www.white-wolf.com/

 

PRE-VICTORIAN WEIRDNESS

 

"Colonial Gothic"

What side are you on? Rogue Games 2007
Occult horror and secret plots during the American Revolution.
http://www.rogue-games.net/1776a

 

"Gotterdammerung"

Riot Minds 2005
Secret society game inspired by "Brotherhood of the Wolf" and "Sleepy Hollow". In Swedish, BRP system.
http://www.riotminds.com/produkter.asp

 

"GURPS" Steve Jackson Games
"GURPS Horror" 2000
Includes the "Seas of Dread, Sails of Daring" pirates & horror setting.
http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/

 

"Roanoke"

Clint Krause 2006
Action/Horror revolving around America's "Lost Colony" circa the 1580s.
http://www.clintkrause.com/games.htm

 

"The Savage World of Solomon Kane"

Pinnacle Entertainment Group 2007
Savage Worlds game about Robert E. Howard's Puritan witch hunter.
http://www.peginc.com/games/

 

"Witch Hunter"

The Invisible World Paradigm Concepts 2007
Stalk monsters & magic-users as a religious slayer in this game of "swashbuckling horror" circa 1689.
http://www.paradigmconcepts.com/witch_hunter/

 

 

POST-VICTORIAN WEIRDNESS

 

"Call of Cthulhu"

Chaosium 1981-Present
Primarily set during the 1920s this game is based on the disturbing horror/science fiction writing of H.P. Lovecraft. Often cited as the best RPG ever.
http://www.chaosium.com/

 

"Gear Krieg"

Two-Fisted Pulp Superscience in a World at War! Dream Pod 9 2001
Alternate history WWII with walking tanks and other dieselpunk inventions.
http://www.dp9.com/Products/GKRPG.htm

 

"GURPS" Steve Jackson Games
"GURPS Mars" 2002
Includes the "Dying Mars" Swords & Planets setting.
"GURPS WWII: Weird War II" 2003
Add superscience & occult menace to your World War II game.
http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/

 

"Hollow Earth Expedition"

Exile Game Studio 2006
Based on the works of Verne, Burroughs & Doyle but set in the pulp action 1930s.
http://www.exilegames.com/games/hex.html

 

"John Carter, Warlord of Mars"

Heritage Models 1978
A combat game that had some RPG notes.

 

"MARS"

The Roleplaying Game of Planetary Romance Adamant Entertainment 2007
Based more on the Swords & Planets stories found in the pulp Mars of Burroughs and Flash Gordon style movie serials. Science fiction without the science but loads of action. D20 Modern.
http://www.lulu.com/content/781589