I n t r o d u c t i o n
t o t h e w o r l d
o f C o l d C i t y
"Malcolm's demo of Cold City at GenCon was an
instant sell for me. I came into the demo knowing nothing about it, and
the web of trust and instant action grabbed me immediately."
Clinton R Nixon, creator of 'The
Shadow of Yesterday', 'The Princes Kingdom' and 'Donjon'
"Supernatural investigators in Cold War Berlin. I totally want to
play this. Proof that you can come out of left field with a setting idea
and still maintain clarity of concept." Robin
D Laws, creator of 'Over The Edge', 'Feng Shui' and 'The Dying Earth RPG'
"One
of the best RPGs I’ve read in years. Full of well-developed ideas and
with the potential to become a cult classic." Olivier
Legrand, RPGnet Review (read the full
review here)
"It's
a wonderful book, allowing the players to explore the darkness that
engulfs the horror-filled streets of post-Nazi Berlin, while exploring the
nature of the own group and characters as well."
Jeramy Ware, 2007 ENnie Awards Judge (read the full
review here)
"The concept is a
winner straight off. The post-war Berlin setting is charged with potential
and atmosphere,and is ideally suited for horror."
Ben Chapman, RPGnet Review (read the full
review here)
Berlin, 1950: World War 2 has been over for five years...
...but another war carries on in the shadows.
As the Cold War rages in the full glare of the world media, the Underground War is fought in ruined bunkers, dank tunnels, building sites, and bombed out apartment blocks.
In the divided city of Berlin, the Reserve Police Agency hunts down monsters left over from sinister experiments and twisted technology. Things from beyond our space and time, strange creatures altered by bizarre machines, the decayed corpses of undead soldiers, things that hide in the darkness.
But the Reserve Police Agency itself is riven by suspicion, mistrust and political ambition. The four occupying powers of Britain, France, the USA and the USSR all see the need for the RPA, all contribute personnel, all have their own agendas.
In 'Cold City' you take the role of a member of the RPA, those secretive Cold war monster hunters. Characters are defined not just by who they are and what they are like, but by the views of the other characters and the trust that they have in them. For each character is, at the outset, seen as a national stereotype, a cliched representative of their chosen nation. But is this really the case? Do they live up to the stereotype or do they show themselves to be wholly unique individuals? And how does this affect the trust that the other character have in them?
'Cold City' is due for release during the first half of, 2006, but you don't have to wait until then to see what it's like. On our forums, you'll find large sections of the game available to view for free, allowing you to see the game in development. Even though this is the unplaytested, unedited text, it allows you to sample the game before release.
Background information for the game can be found here.
System information for the game can be found here.
'Cold City' is written by Malcolm Craig (a|state) and illustrated by Stuart Beel (SLA Industries, Changeling, Werewolf and many other RPGs and CCGs). Graphic design is done by Paul Bourne (a|state, winner of the 2004 Indie RPG Award for Best Graphic Design & Layout).
Cold City Companion: 48 pages, Print
(8.5"x5.5") and PDF. The Cold City Companion offers
additional advice and information for Cold City. This Cold City supplement
gives information on how to play the game according to different cinematic
genres (such as noir, dark horror and black comedy), more in depth ways of
creating and structuring games and how to run games in 'open' and 'closed'
ways.
There's also a chapter dedicated to the different intelligence agencies at
work in the shadows of Berlin, groups who might offer help or hindrance to
characters in the Reserve Police Agency. Each agency also comes with a
sample Hidden Agenda that characters associated with them might have.
For those who want to venture further a field, there's a chapter looking
at twisted technology locations beyond Berlin and how they affect the
work of the Reserve Police Agency in that city.
The print version is priced at $12 and is
available here
If you want to buy a print version from our
shop, the price is £7 and is available here
