Sword’s Edge Publishing will soon be rising from its hibernation.
SEP has been very quiet of late. That was a conscious decision by Fraser Ronald, who chose to focus on his family and personal responsibilities. That changed when the opportunity to release Mundus Novit–a product Fraser had wrote for a different company–presented itself.
If you haven’t heard of Mundus Novit, there’s mentions of it on the SEP website and at Fraser’s blog. This Dialogues episode from Fist Full of Comics & Games has an interview with Fraser about Mundus Novit, but a lot of the publication information has changed. The book has changed slightly as well, but the core concepts remain the same.
Here’s a snippet from the manuscript:
Mundus Novit – the Changed World introduces a world posited on the idea that genetic experimentation triggered a change in Humanity. Some have become more than human, with physical abilities unknown in nature. Others have learned that the mind is a powerful weapon which can summon more than simply ideas. Finally there are those who understand the secrets of magic, secrets that may have always been with us, but have been forgotten and ignored by the world at large.
There is still work to be done on Mundus Novit–editing, layout and art. Not wanting to disappoint, SEP is not going to be a street date on Mundus Novit until it is absolutely certain the book can be delivered on that date.
One promise that can be made: the SEP website is going to be hosting serial fiction in the setting of Mundus Novit starting Thursday, May 28. Every two weeks, a new chapter will be posted. The fiction will refer to a startling new event in the world of Mundus Novit. Kathmandu, Nepal has gone “black.” No transmissions–not radio, not TV, not cell phones, nothing–can enter or escape the city. Not even psychic powers work in the city. The CIA blames an operative of the mysterious TANGIBLE STREAM organization. Friends and possible foes hunt down Boyle, a secret operative for the STREAM, who may hold the key to Kathmandu’s transmission darkness.
Mundus Novit will be released as a PDF with rules for the Modern version of the world’s most popular RPG. SEP is looking into releasing it in other systems.
In support of Mundus Novit, SEP will be publishing the Osiris Files. These will be a series of adventure concepts. More than seeds but less than actual adventure modules, the Osiris Files will give a gamemaster or narrator everything required to set the game in motion, without deciding on the genre or conclusion. Most of the Files will be devoid of keyed maps or linear events, rather the concept will be fleshed out and possible conclusions or events will be provided.
There is a preview of the first release from the Osiris Files here. Operation Nearscape will be released free closer to the release date of Mundus Novit. More will be forthcoming, including a glimpse at how one might incorporate the Osiris organization into one’s campaign.
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