Keyforge gets its own RPG sourcebook, Secrets of the Crucible

A new roleplaying sourcebook set in the sci-fi fantasy world of ‘unique deck game’ Keyforge is landing later this year.

Titled Secrets of the Crucible, the upcoming RPG takes place in Keyforge’s Crucible setting - an artificial world that spans the stars, where advanced technologies and magic mix. Here, archons - god-like beings which cover countless forms - plunder ancient vaults for secrets.

According to publisher Fantasy Flight Games, the 272-page sourcebook promises “lost civilisations, cryptic conspiracies, bizarre environments, mutated monsters” and more.

In its first portion, Secrets of the Crucible features 11 player character “species” to choose from, as well as rules for how to create your own. Whether you want to be an aquatic horse, screaming rock or anything else your twisted mind might conjure up.

Additionally, you’ll be able to pick a “career” option, such as the Vault Warrior and Trader, plus special abilities. For example, skill Æmbercraft reveals secrets about the powerful substance that permeates the Keyforge universe - and is also used as a resource in the card game.

The latest creation from Magic: The Gathering creator Richard Garfield and the world’s first ‘unique deck game’ due to its algorithmically-generated decks, Keyforge has sold over 1.5 million individual decks since its late 2018 release.

The upcoming RPG tome also includes advice for budding game masters, such as an introduction to life on the Crucible, NPC templates and a modular adventure builder comprised of hooks, escalations and climaxes.

Secrets of the Crucible uses the Genesys RPG structure, a setting agnostic framework that utilises the Narrative Dice System. This particular form of dice wrangling originated in Fantasy Flight Games’ Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 3E and was later used in the publisher’s Star Wars RPG.

Unlike the Dungeons & Dragons dice with modifiers setup, the Narrative Dice System adds dice that infer advantage or threat dependent on the situation. Essentially, you get three pairs of dice, and each pair comprises one negative die and one positive. So, a duo of d6 dice represent a boost or setback, two d8s represent ability and difficulty, and a duo of d12s are rolled to demarcate proficiency and challenge. This provided a foundation for what would eventually become the Genesys roleplaying setup.

The system eventually got rolled out for Fantasy Flight Games’ cyberpunk-themed roleplaying setting Android, the setting of the Android: Netrunner living card game - one of the best trading, collectible and expandable card games that isn’t Magic: The Gathering, plus its fantasy RPG world Realms of Terrinoth. The latter is where board games Runebound and Descent: Journeys in the Dark take place.

Keyforge RPG Secrets of the Crucible will be landing in the second quarter of 2020. It is currently available for pre-order on the Asmodee US store for $49.95 (£38).

While you wait, newbies to the world can learn how to play Keyforge.