Indiegogo is committed to accessibility. If you have difficulty using our site, please contact support@indiegogo.com for assistance or view our accessibility notice by clicking here

🚁 A whole new way to fly. V-Copter Falcon Mini is live. Don’t miss out!

This campaign is closed

Arthur’s Guide to Martian Life

A compilation of the alien life of Mars for Rocket Age Classic and 5e

Arthur’s Guide to Martian Life

A compilation of the alien life of Mars for Rocket Age Classic and 5e

7 Campaigns |

Vincennes, United States

$2,164 USD by 79 backers

$1,522 USD by 58 backers on Mar 29, 2023

Story

FAQ

Updates 8

Discussion 16

Highlights

7 Projects 7 Projects

Mars is not a large planet, merely half the size of Earth, yet it hosts several native habitats and tens of thousands of native species. The noted, and sadly late, Dr. Arthur Wesley has explored many of these and filed extensive reports with the International Committee on Intellectual Cooperation. This publication details the most extensively studied creatures of Mars, their native habitats, and includes drawings based on the sketches of Dr. Wesley himself with an appendix on artificial life on Mars written by Frank Knight.

Inside Arthur’s Guide to Martian Life

Over 20 new creatures native to Mars such as the crested mahmoot, giant tesselon, and enigmatic vapor wraith are fully statted out with story hooks to help the GM get them off the page and into the game. Major ecosystems of Mars such as the rice grass savanna of the South Polar Region, the lush (for Mars) canal valleys, and the dangers of the open desert are detailed. In addition, Frank Knight has appended his thoughts on the artificial life on Mars, such as warbots and the dread roboqueen!

All available in Classic or 5e compatible formats.

Bizarre Life

Mars is home to strange alien lifeforms that want to eat you or be your friend! Maybe both. Ranging from plants like Arthur’s hydra to the deadly Grey Hunger swarms, these critters will make adventures on Mars exciting and rewarding. At least exciting and fulfilling, filling their bellies most likely.

Alien Vistas

Arthur’s Guide to Martian life contains more than just deadly creatures, it details the many ecosystems of Mars. There is a lot of life on Mars that doesn’t need game stats but exist for flavor and ambiance. Each ecosystem is given a panoramic view inspired by biology texts of the mid-20th Century that shows the environment and the common animals found there.

Artificial Life

Appended to our copy of Arthur’s Guide are Frank Knight’s notes on the artificial life of Mars. Warbots, roboqueens, and others are described in detail and commented on by the greatest Europan P.I. in the Solar System, or at least on Mars. Maybe the greatest in the city-state of Emancipation. OK, top ten at least.

Two Systems, One Setting

Rocket Age is available in Classic, a Vortex System derived game, and in 5e compatible. Choose which version you want, and the only differences are the stats! Both are broadly compatible with their parent systems, you can pull a creature out of this book and drop it right into your game, even if you don’t play Rocket Age. Both PDF and PDF+POD options are available in either system.

Add-On Perks

The following can be added to your perks to expand your Rocket Age collection. All are available in PDF or POD+ PDF.

Rocket Age Classic Corebook

The 1938 that never was and the Solar System that should have been, in 5e! Rocket Age is a radium punk sci-fi game of exploring the Solar System, fighting Nazis, Stalinists, aliens, and the bizarre environments of nine planets (yes nine, it is 1938 and Pluto is a full-fledged planet). It is a game of ancient ruins on Mars, the steaming jungles of Venus, strange life in the clouds of Jupiter, RAY guns, chromed rocket ships, radium fuel, hot exhaust, and fins. Inside you will find:

The Rocket Age in all its splendor from the secret bases on Mercury to the cloud islands of Jupiter and beyond.
13 playable species from Venus, Earth, Mars, and the moons of Jupiter.
Complete rules for using the Classic system, a traditional system welded to a narrative Story Point mechanic.
Story Hooks to get you started.
Hordes of villainous foes and alien beasts to battle against or alongside.

Rocket Age 5e Corebook

17 playable species for the Solar System. Earthlings, Metisians, Jovians, and all the castes of Mars.
Five classes, Agent, Explorer, Scientist, Scoundrel, and Soldier complete with subclasses and options.
Character backgrounds such as the Rocket Ranger or Europan Emissary.
All the gear you will need from RAY guns to hamaxes.
Feats for those using that optional 5e rule. Go ahead, Dace it Out!
A unique psychic power system that allows any character to wield the power of the mind!
An easy to learn but in depth vehicle system with vehicles from planetary surface to outer space.
A tour of the Solar System of 1938, a complete setting, no, make that nine planets to set your games on.
Ancient artifacts of lost civilizations, how to find them, how to (mis)use them.
Hordes of villainous foes and alien beasts to battle against or alongside.

Blood Red Mars Classic

Blood Red Mars, each planet has a theme and Mars' theme is conflict. Inside you will find:

A complete gazetteer of Mars from the Polar Ice Caps, across the Great Silt Sea, and on to the canal valleys and sun blasted deserts, dozens of story and character hooks for GM and player alike.
A look at the organizations, both Martian and Alien, active on Mars that can serve as friends, foils, and foes.
An in depth look at the Chanari, the only native culture of Mars that still prospers.
New character and equipment traits.
New gear from the Chanari fire lance to the silt raider.
Expanded artifacts of Ancients Mars such as the portable motion detector and the deadly RAY sword.
Deadly flora and fauna of Mars, including the great silt dragon and desert well tree.
The Stolen Artifact a complete adventure that should serve as an introduction to Mars.

Blood Red Mars 5e

Brings the Red Planet in all its blood soaked glory to Rocket Age (5e). Inside you will find:

A complete gazetteer of Mars from the Polar Ice Caps, across the Great Silt Sea, and on to the canal valleys and sun blasted deserts, dozens of story and character hooks for GM and player alike.
A look at the organizations, both Martian and Alien, active on Mars that can serve as friends, foils, and foes.
An in depth look at the Chanari, the only native culture of Mars that still prospers.
New character options for Chanari, Silthuri, and Roboman species. New class options for the Agent, Explorer, Scientist, Scoundrel, and Soldier. Mars focused backgrounds such as Free Legionnaire or Dethroned Prince.
New gear from the Chanari fire lance to the silt raider.
Expanded artifacts of Ancients Mars such as the portable motion detector and the deadly RAY sword.
Deadly flora and fauna of Mars, including the great silt dragon and desert well tree.
The Stolen Artifact a complete adventure for Tier 1 characters that should serve as an introduction to Mars.

Who is Why Not Games

Why Not Games is headed by Ken Spencer (you might know him from Rocket Age, Northlands Saga, or Adventures in Middle-Earth). Krystal Spencer handles the graphic design as well as business management. They form the core ownership team, but their regular gaming buddies contribute as guinea pigs, er, playtesters.

Main Site: https://www.whynotgames.com

FB: https://www.facebook.com/whynotgamescom/

Discord Server: https://discord.gg/n2hTqhr

Twitter: @whynotgamescom

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2d3ldMEzTH3up...

Drive-Thru RPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/11709/W...

About the Author

Ken Spencer is an award winning RPG author, game designer, and all around good guy. He has worked for many companies, including Chaosium, Cubicle 7, Frog God Games, Necromancer Games, and Steve Jackson Games, When not fulfilling his duties as an author for Frog God and Necromancer Games, he runs his own company, Why Not Games, most known for their Retro Sci-fi RPG Rocket Age.

Eric Utterback, Cover and Interior Artist

Eric Utterback is a Contemporary Fantasy Artist and Illustrator from the Midwest. He spends most of his time somewhere between oil paint and digital media. Focusing on the intermix of fantasy, sci fi, and fine art and how they infer on one another. He has studied painting at IUPUI and been working freelance since 2017.

Joshua Lambert, Layout

Joshua Lambert is a meat-puppet operated by remote control via space radiation beamed directly into his satellite sized ears. When not working for Lord Kenegoth, he is placed in cryostasis and held until the need to draw space rocks arises again. Joshua is a Leo.