About Sceaptune Games
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About Sceaptune Games |
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We are a publisher founded in 2006 currently specialising in tabletop Role Playing Games. Our approach is to provide useful, rich, enjoyable and playable scenarios and settings to the RPG players and Games Masters alike. We also promote and support modern board games suitable for the whole family or a wide range of ages, though do not publish board games. One of the ways we try to encourage RPGs and board games is through holding regular games days (see our news page for details of the next games day).
We have no formal motto but the closest to what we believe and what we are trying to do is "Have fun".
We have our own science fiction RPG, Hyperlite, which comes from the Traveller™ OGL 'stable', but which is very different from Traveller and the OTU (official Traveller universe). We also support the newly released Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition rules from Wizards of the Coast and the RuneQuest system from Mongoose Publishing. For D&D 4e we have the Greyscales Series, a set of lightweight supplements packed with useful monsters, magic or creatures for your D&D 4e campaigns. For the RuneQuest rules we have the Rune Sources range, providing rules supplements, cults, magic and extensions, and the Singleton Scenarios, source/scenario books which are specially designed adventure threads for one or two players and a GM in a setting that both supports those scenarios and that builds into a cohesive and complete campaign.
Hyperlite is the name for our science fiction RPG and universe.
Hyperlite:The Sirius Treaty is the first, main rulebook and others
are underway. The universe of the Sirius Treaty is a gritty, relatively hard science-fiction
universe. It assumes that FTL travel is difficult and dangerous, that there are very few starfaring
species currently active in the galaxy and, because time is so deep, there are numerous 'Precursor'
civilisations, ancient, pan-galactic empires who have long since died out. The Sirius Treaty is a peace treaty
signed by the starfaring species of the galaxy to prevent a war and to limit the technology that can be used on
primitive planets. This 'first contact' protocol is enforced by an independent, and fearsome,
body called the Invigilators.
This has a very different 'feel' to other SF-RPGs, and has proven very popular and absorbing during development and playtesting. Try it out for yourself and see.
The SF-OGL SRD (System Reference Document) is an Open Gaming ruleset which forms the backbone for Hyperlite. Though based on Mongoose Publications OGL Traveller SRD (MGT, for short), SF-OGL has a very different set of assumptions, has a different, smaller skill set and has a number of rules specifically intended to merge hi-tech with primitive weaponry. It also includes a number of careers and character generation guidelines. it is important to note that, whilst it comes from the MGT stable it is not, in any way, supported by or otherwise associated with the MGT. It is a standalone, separate OGL SRD.
Scenarios built for one or two players and a games master, perfect when it is difficult to find
players or you want a game at short notice and cannot get enough people together. Playing scenarios
meant for larger groups with only one or two players can be difficult as there is not the same
interaction related to problem-solving and Player Characters are more vulnerable.
The Singleton Scenarios are designed to be interlinked into a campaign and to support a
variety of approaches to the problems they present to the Player Characters. There is often
no fixed route through the scenario, supporting a wider range of approaches to a resolution.
The Singleton Scenarios are designed to take full advantage of the flexible character options
in Mongoose Publishing's new RuneQuest. RuneQuest has long supported skills-based character
development which allows strong, adaptable and flexible character builds, and the latest version is
no different. The setting for the Singleton scenarios is the Lost Isles, a remote archipelago ruled
by the mysterious Wardens. Those exiled to the archipelago rarely return. The Lost Isles adventure thread
begins with
the characters Exiled or marooned on the Lost Isles, wondering where they go from here... but from the
moment they set foot on the islands, the exiles are fighting for their survival.
With a cohesive background and a history which is gradually unfurled as the Player Characters travel
through the landscape the Lost Isles is an ideal location for a party consisting of a small number of
Player Characters. Of course, the adventure threads can be played with a larger group but the scenario/
sourcebooks come into their own when you're struggling to find that larger group or no-one turns up for
an evening or two!
Many of the books in the Lost Isles adventure thread are not just scenarios: they contain background information on the archipelago, new cults, new weapons, new rules, new foes... once the scenario is played each book can be used as a sourcebook, either on its own or with the others to form an extensive library of knowledge about the Lost Isles.
As many experienced RPG-ers are aware, scenarios from the rules originators are sometimes infrequent, though campaign settings are readily available. There is even a truism that 'you never make money from scenarios', which keeps publishers away. To be honest, scenarios by themselves are costly to write and produce, some writers even trying to avoid them as some elements such as statistic blocks are time-consuming to produce compared with flavour text.
Nonetheless, GMs cry out for good scenarios. Sadly, once a scenario is run it sits on their shelf gathering dust. The Sourcebook & Scenario approach is designed to make sure the books can be reused. Not only does each book contain strong element of source material, but also contains a scenario. The background information in each is cohesive by itself but also part of a greater whole. As a result it can be readily used on its own or transplanted into 'homebrew' campaigns. Each book in the series is connected to the others to provide a deeper, broader background of the Lost Isles campaign setting.
This
is the general name for a range of RuneQuest source information and GM Aids we are publishing. The
first is 'Petty-Magick, Petty-Sorcerers and Hedge Wizards' which details a new magic system for use in almost
any RuneQuest campaign. The book shown to the right, the Quester's Guide to Duck, is one that
has proven to be highly popular, but our other books on guilds, cults and Petty-Magick are also worth
checking out! If you have any ideas for other publications, do contact us!
Sceaptune is the Anglo-Saxon term for a sheep-fold (Sceap-tun). Most pronounce it "Skeep-tune", but a purist would probably insist it's pronounced something like "Shipton". Which is good, because that's the village where we are based.
We have been asked this and yes, it is certainly on the cards and we could get a pair done in silver for around £25 if you'd like some. Just get in touch.
Sceaptune Games is a Limited Company, Registered No. 6020538. As a publisher, we are VAT-registered, our VAT number GB 899 683137. Registered office Sceaptune Games Limited, 8 Kingfishers, Shipton Bellinger, Tidworth, Hants. If you wish to get in touch, it is easier to try our contacts page.
Page Updated 7th July 2010 by Halfbat Copyright © Sceaptune Games