Entromancy is a new Cyberpunk RPG that has a campaign on Kickstarter. Comix Asylum’s Thomas Riccarrdi recently had the chance to chat with M. S. Farzan, the game’s Creative Director about the Kickstarter, book and future plans for the franchise.
TR: Please introduce yourself.
MSF: Hi! I’m M. S. Farzan and I’m the Creative Director and Lead Designer on Entromancy: A Cyberpunk Fantasy RPG. I was born in London and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, and I’m the author of Entromancy: Book One of the Nightpath Trilogy.
TR: Tell us some of the products that you have worked on in the past.
MSF: I’ve worked at a bunch of video game companies and editorial sites, and am the former community manager for games like Dungeons & Dragons Neverwinter and Mass Effect: Andromeda.
TR: You also have a book called Entromancy. Can you tell us a bit about this book?
MSF: I’d be delighted to! Entromancy: Book One of the Nightpath Trilogy is a love letter to the cyberpunk and urban fantasy genres. I like to describe it as William Gibson’s Neuromancer meets Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files, with a tiny bit of World of Warcraft in between. It’s set in 2076 San Francisco, at a time when a quarter of the world’s power runs on ceridium, a newly discovered element that has had the unintended consequence of spawning a new race of people, and several forms of magic that were once thought to have been forgotten. Entromancy‘s main character, Eskander Aradowsi, is an agent of NIGHT, a paramilitary force created to contain and control this new perceived threat, but he soon learns that not all within his organization is as it seems. A botched mission turns out to be the least of his troubles, when he unearths a plot that threatens the uneasy truce between the aurics and humans of San Francisco, and centers on a form of magic that toys with the very fabric of the universe: Entromancy.
TR: You also have a project on Kickstarter tell us more about Entromancy the RPG.
MSF: That’s right! We’re currently running a Kickstarter for the Entromancy RPG, which is a tabletop roleplaying game set in San Francisco in the late 21st century. It shares a lot of the same cyberpunk, urban fantasy themes as the novel, and will allow you to take the role of a character in a futuristic, technology-driven, magic-rich world complete with espionage, spellcasting, hacking, and engaging action sequences.
TR: What sets this RPG apart from some of the other sci-fi/cyberpunk RPGs out there today?
MSF: If you like d20 RPGs, Entromancy uses a d20 core mechanic with an emphasis on quick onboarding, engaging action, and meaningful roleplaying. It also features an espionage-based faction system and the novel – which is the first in a trilogy – to back up the game’s worldbuilding. Additionally, we’ve got a card-based, collaborative hacking minigame as a stretch goal that’s playable at the table in under a minute.
TR: What system does this RPG use?
MSF: The core mechanic is based on 5th Edition, and we’ve done a lot to streamline the game systems to place an emphasis on meaningful action and storytelling, while building out other systems to support a cyberpunk world that incorporates intrigue, espionage, hacking, and cybernetics. So anyone who’s familiar with 5th Edition or other d20 systems will be instantly familiar with how the core mechanic works, and will also notice the areas in which Entromancy is different, in terms of character creation and progression, spellcasting, equipment, and more.
TR: This project is currently on Kickstarter. What are some of the rewards that people can claim?
MSF: There’s quite a variety of rewards available, ranging from the game PDF and hardcover, to creating your own NPC or monster, being part of a game session, or even participating in a Japanese sword fighting class!
TR: What are some of the stretch goals that you hope to hit for this Kickstarter?
MSF: I’m happy to report that we’ve already blasted through our first three stretch goals, which now enable us to add more monsters to the game, create full-color artwork, and include the first mission, The Presidio Heist, with the final game. We’re currently tracking towards our fourth stretch goal: hacking.
In the current version of the game, hacking works in much the same way as other skills, such as athletics, negotiation, and stealth. We already have a full system built for hacking, based on things like device accessibility, range, security grade, and counter-hacking…but we’re aiming to up the ante.
We have a card-based, collaborative hacking minigame in the works that serves as an alternate system for you to use during your cyber exploits. It’s fast, it’s fun, and it’s playable in under a minute at the game table. It adds a strategic dimension to hacking that incorporates card-based gameplay, and allows for participation by all hackers at the table. We’re REALLY excited about hacking, and with this stretch goal, we’re aiming to include the alternate minigame rules with a PDF of full color, printable cards to be used with plastic card sleeves.
TR: If this project does well what would you like to work on next?
MSF: We have quite a few plans in the works, including additional mission content and supplements for Entromancy as well as standalone card games based in the same shared world. I’m also currently working on Technomancy: Book Two of the Nightpath Trilogy and looking forward to share more about it soon.
TR: Do you have a dream project that you would want to work on?
MSF: Oh yeah. I’m sitting on a game design document for an Entromancy action roleplaying video game, à la Diablo or Torchlight. I’ve also got ideas for the Entromancy graphic novel series and motion picture. If this piques your interest, please feel free to be in touch!
TR: Any other final remarks?
MSF: Thank you so much for hosting! All of us on the team are extremely excited to share the Entromancy world with you. You can find more information about the Kickstarter here, check out the official website for links to follow us on social media, or send us a note at info@entromancy.com!
