About Sceaptune Games

Questions

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 have no formal motto but the closest to what we believe and what we are trying to do is "Have fun".

We primarily support the newly-re-released RuneQuest system from Mongoose Publishing and will be building sourcebooks, supplements, settings and scenarios for that, highly-flexible, RPG system. We have release a range of Rune Sources, supplements and extensions for the RuenQuest rules, and Singleton Scenarios, sourcebook/scenario books specially designed 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 thread.

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. We're looking at a bestiary and a range of others are on the cards, from GM Aids to sourcebooks. If you have any ideas, 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.

Page Updated 15^th October 2007 by Halfbat Copyright © Sceaptune Games