Hey ladies and gentlemen,

I'm new here. Name's Benny Andersson (not affiliated to a certain pop band), and I run High Calibre Wizard, situated in Sweden. Previously I've been making some lesser known computer games. Used to write alot of books and boardgames in my youth, so I've decided to pick that up again.

I'm here to introduce my game to you: "Hell Space, or They Came from the Stars!"

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This is a tabletop RPG inspired by retro sci-fi and horror movies. It uses plenty of public domain footage from movies of this kind (40's to 80's), since it carries a certain aesthetic that pleases me. The setting is pseudo realistic, and very flexible, since the GM can set up the game in the past, the now, or the near future. Now of course there are some weaknesses with not having a world set in stone: it puts greater demand on the GM if you want to run a series of interconnected adventures. The idea is however to make a game play out as one of those old schlock B-movies. The beastiary includes things like meat eating, fire breathing, sentient plants from outer space (stolen from Super Mario), tentacle monstrosities from dimension XYZ, and brain munching parasites.

Game uses a newly designed D20 system: roll under or equal (nothing fancy but it works well). It's not very rule heavy, since it's designed to be fast and easy to learn. There are some optional rules if you want more detail.

The game is not published yet, but will be so digitally. If enough sales, it will be printed.

Anyone interested in taking the game for a whirl, and write something about it? Let me know here, or via email! highcalibrewizard[at]gmail.com

EDIT: One review in, here:
[video=youtube;22c0-AExWWk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22c0-AExWWk[/youtube]

Game is now on sale here:

https://www.drivethrurpg.com

Also happy to answer any questions you guys have.

Welcome to theRPGsite!

That sounds like a lot of fun and using public domain images from schlock cinema should only help enforce the desired mood much better than a lot of amateur artwork would do. I quite enjoy a good-bad B-movie.

Looks like fun will it come with an adventure to run?

So, are we talking "Call of Cthulhu" or "The Creature that Ate Sheboygan?"

Because the name makes me think of the former, but the look and description is more the latter.  I'm just not clear, is all.

Yeah, the title isn't very good and doesn't really match up with the description. I'd go for something that shouts "B-grade Sci Fi Horror Schlockfest the RPG."

Maybe drop Hell Space, I duuno, but...

They Came From the Stars! (complete with exclamation point) did scream B-movie schlock to me.

Quote from: CRKrueger;979360Maybe drop Hell Space, I duuno, but...

They Came From the Stars! (complete with exclamation point) did scream B-movie schlock to me.

Yes, that part was pretty good and would make a better title than subtitle. But it really needs an adverb or adjective to make it more exciting.

Lose the "or".

Reminds me of Devil Girl From Mars, and Stranger from Venus.

Welcome!

I emailed you an invitation to do a Q&A in my chatroom.

Welcome aboard Varvarg!!

When thinking about publishing, you can offer print options to your customers via POD (print on demand) through both Amazon's Createspace and DriveThruRPG so you don't need to go the "boxes of books in the garage" unless you have a deal with a distributor.

Also, are you familiar with Z-Man games' Grave Robbers from Outer Space?
https://boardgamegeek.com/wiki/page/B-Movie_Series

It's a card game (part of a B-movie series) and touches on similar themes. Its a good game on its own, but considering what you're working on, it might be a great idea mine for developing adventures.

FYI, there is also a B-movie RPG adventure for Savage Worlds (from 2005).
http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/18984/Savage-Features-03--They-Came-From-Beyond-Space?it=1

Quote from: Voros;979324Looks like fun will it come with an adventure to run?

It definitely should come with at least one adventure.

And a cool adventure generator!

Quote from: Dumarest;979320That sounds like a lot of fun and using public domain images from schlock cinema should only help enforce the desired mood much better than a lot of amateur artwork would do. I quite enjoy a good-bad B-movie.

Agreed. Public domain schlock images are a GREAT idea.

Varvarg, you may also want to check out foreign movie posters for films in the public domain. There is an art gallery in Chinatown in Los Angeles that had an exhibition of hand painted movie posters from small countries and provinces across India, Philippines, etc from the 1950s to 1980s to promote whatever they were showing in the local cinema. Some of the work looked like painted copies of the US posters, but most of them were weird to hysterical - misspelled titles, actors who looked nothing like themselves, bizarro scenes that may or may not have been in the movie, etc. I wonder if some of those images are in the public domain.

Here's posters from Ghana (mostly big movies definitely under copyright)
http://www.amusingplanet.com/2012/06/hand-painted-movie-posters-from-ghana.html

Quote from: CRKrueger;979360Maybe drop Hell Space, I duuno, but...

They Came From the Stars! (complete with exclamation point) did scream B-movie schlock to me.

Agreed, but partially because I've been working on a Hellspace RPG.

Thanks alot for the support and interest guys,

Quote from: Spinachcat;979433Agreed, but partially because I've been working on a Hellspace RPG.

LOL! But really, you guys have a point about the title. I might reconsider it before launch. Perhaps just keep the subtitle

Quote from: Voros;979324Looks like fun will it come with an adventure to run?

Yes! A very detailed adventure with lots of choice and consequence. No generator, but that could be amended

Quote from: Gronan of Simmerya;979327So, are we talking "Call of Cthulhu" or "The Creature that Ate Sheboygan?"

Because the name makes me think of the former, but the look and description is more the latter.  I'm just not clear, is all.

I wanted some cheesy elements, together with the dark. The people I play with tend to mix it up. It is set in the middle you could say. The name... well it can possibly change

Quote from: Dan Davenport;979425Welcome!

I emailed you an invitation to do a Q&A in my chatroom.

Thanks mate!


Got some nice ideas from you guys. Keep the questions flowing, and I'll update the OP if I there are changes. And let me know if anyone want to do a quick review

just throwing this out there, and it's hardly original, but together with the subtitle it might just work

Invasion: They Came from the Stars!

like
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Quote from: Varvarg;979531just throwing this out there, and it's hardly original, but together with the subtitle it might just work

Invasion: They Came from the Stars!

like
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You still need an adverb or adjective, like THEY CAME GIBBERING FROM THE STARS! or THEY CAME FROM THE ELDRITCH STARS! or something, just to space it up.

Something else to consider...people shorthand "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" to "Body Snatchers." Maybe you should think of what you'd like people to shorthand yours to..."Invasion"? It's a little vague...thus the adjective or adverb.

Edit: consider my input the result of enthusiasm for your project as it sounds cool and I'd like to see it succeed as much as possible.

Hmm, no I dont mind. Believe me I'm used to a much tougher crowd.

I gotta think about this. Please feel free to leave more input if you want.

I figure I cant have the subtitle too long, it should be short and descriptive. They Came from the Stars is already borderline. Hell Space can be a bit misleading.

Thing is, I want to keep it a 'bit' generic, since it's not just about some reptiles that came from planet X, they can be from basically anywhere, any dimension even. But i'll include that in "space" or "stars", whatever

Invasion from Beyond
Invasion from the Stars
Invasion from X (X as in unknown)
Attack from Space
Invaders from planet X
Space invaders
Incursion from Space
Enemies from the Stars

Attack from Space, though? Simple, can fit many things (as it should for this game)

or

Invaders from Space!

Kinda like the exclamation mark

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