Last week's blog brought us to the end of our deep dive into the Apocalypse War supplement for Judge Dredd & the Worlds of 2000 AD, so where do we go next? Well, it's time to get leave ash-choked streets of Mega-City One behind and get Cheerful once again. Awfully Cheerful in fact. Charge your Anti-Plasm Particle Throwers and ready the Ghostmobile, it's time to head to Manhattan on the trail of some particularly mischievous spirits!
We've introduced the Awfully Cheerful Engine! (ACE!) in a previous blog. You might also have seen promo material begin to appear for our imminent kickstarter. Yes we're biased, but we really are looking forward to bringing this tongue-in-cheek, fun-filled RPG to a tabletop near you very soon. Conceived as a series of comic-sized issues that follow on from the core rulebook, each issue of ACE! will bring you a light-hearted and entertaining parody of much-loved films and television serials in a tabletop RPG format. First up and needing no introduction, we have our very own Ghostbu... Ahem! Spirits of Manhattan - a 48-page adventure that throws the Heroes against all sorts of creatures that go bump in the night.
Written by David E. Chapman, Spirits introduces itself by setting the scene for the Actors and Directors alike. It's 1984, an actor is the President of the U.S., and you can listen to Bruce Springsteen on your walkman. Oh, and a gate to a hell dimension nearly opened in New York but a team of specialists managed to somewhat reluctantly save the world. Now you get to don the Ghostbreakers's outfit and put the restless dead back to sleep!
Although each of the issues will be supplied with pregenerated characters for free, they also feature options for creating your own. While there are plenty of options for building your Hero in the core rules, each issue also offers a couple of unique Roles that cater to the setting. Sure you can play as a Ghost, Inventor or Priest, but this issue also introduces the Demonologist!
You're playing Ghostbreakers, of course, so you'll also need some very cool - and possibly experimental - gadgets to tackle those ghosts. Which is where the special gear like Spirit-Spectacle Goggles and Anti-Plasm Particle Throwers come in. Oh, and don't forget your copy of Tobias' Guide to Ghosts, Spooks, and Specters. It may just save your life! For Spirits of Manhattan, Tobias' Guide offers some player-facing information before delving into a spooktacular rundown of the ghosts, ghouls and demons the Heroes can expect to encounter throughout the subsequent adventure.
With the intro and Hero information out of the way, the issue dives headfirst into the ectoplasm with a three act adventure that will have the Heroes gripping the edge of their seats as they charge around Manhattan in their Ghostmobile! We don't want to give too much away here but rest assured that it's one hell of an action-packed and hysterical thrill ride as they race across the streets of New York on the trail of several devious ghosts. Is there a 100' Marshmallow Man? You'll just have to play the adventure to find out!
