Strange Bedfellows is a campaign and sourcebook for the Age of Ambition roleplaying game. It follows a group of movers and shakers in the city of Melanoc as they seek to improve the realm, advance their personal ambitions, navigate politics and face an apocalyptic danger lurking in their midst.
Along the way, the party must make unlikely alliances and tough choices, uncover a conspiracy that threatens to stoke the flames of civil unrest and thwart a sinister plot hatched by meddling spies.
The campaign is inspired by a variety of fantasy fiction, including: Scott Lynch's Gentleman Bastard series, Terry Pratchett's Ankh-Morpork books, Brian McClellan's Powder Mage trilogies and Daniel Abraham's The Dagger and the Coin series.
The Strange Bedfellows campaign and sourcebook will be a full-color hardback volume estimated at 192 pages. It includes:
A flexible campaign of seven core scenarios, plus numerous optional "side quest" adventures and ample room for GM-created personal plots.
New systems for ruling a domain, running an organization and engaging in municipal politics.
Engage in extended warfare and conduct criminal trials, either as the prosecutor or the defendant.
Over fifty new non-player characters and assorted foes, ready to bring the city and its enemies to life. Complete with stats and ready to go!
New character options, lifepath tables and downtime activities!
Age of Ambition is a fantasy roleplaying game set in a world rapidly leaving the traditional fantasy milieu behind, where magical and technological advancements are challenging the long-standing social order, and where the heroes help guide the world into a brave new age.
So strap on your breastplate and pick up your pistol. There are discoveries to make, wrongs to right, tyrants to overthrow and new social orders to trial.
The game is inspired by a variety of fantasy fiction, including: Joe Abercrombie's First Law series, Terry Pratchett's Discworld, Scott Lynch's Gentleman Bastard series and Brian McClellan's Powder Mage trilogies. Most of all, Age of Ambition is set in a world that’s facing its future. It’s beholden to shades of gray and intrigue. No one knows what this new era will bring, but with it comes great peril and great promise.
Age of Ambition is a complete fantasy roleplaying game using the Saga Machine system. Its features include:
A lifepath character creation system, including birth omens, life events and careers that connect each character to the world at large.
A fully-realized fantasy setting, including social dynamics, history, magic, politics and plot hooks galore!
Support for a wide spectrum of power and influence, from peasant revolutionaries to the leaders of nations.
Systems for personal ambitions, influence, social change, bonds, magic, invention, combat, social status and more!Â
 “Love the Saga Machine system... Going to adapt the system to other RPGs!”              —James C., DriveThruRPG
Age of Ambition is a new take on the fantasy genre. The core system, Saga Machine, has been in use for over a decade, including publication in our other roleplaying games: Shadows Over Sol, Against the Dark Yogi and Dime Adventures. It is skill-based, rules-medium and uses a deck of playing cards to resolve actions.
This version of the rules has been entirely revised and streamlined, with over two years of public playtests. It has since received widespread praise.
Want to know more?
All backers can access the complete draft text of Strange Bedfellows today! Simply follow the link from the first backer-only update!
Below are the currently announced goals. More may be added as the campaign progresses.
REACHED! – $1,200 – Initial Funding Goal: At this funding level we can afford to produce and print Strange Bedfellows as a full-color hardback volume, complete with excellent art.
REACHED! –$1,600 – Player's Brief - The Strange Bedfellows Player's Brief will be a full color PDF document containing all of the player-facing information and options from the Strange Bedfellows campaign and sourcebook. Perfect for GMs to distribute to their players before the game! It will be made available to all backers in PDF, and available in print as an add-on.
$2,000 – Strategic Map - Our second stretch goal unlocks a poster map of the region surrounding the city of Melanoc. It can be used as both as an in-game map and as a strategic map for battles surrounding the city and its lands. It will be made available to all backers and patrons in a high-resolution image format, and available in print as an add-on.
Strange Bedfellows was first run as a campaign twenty years ago. Since then it has been revised and run at least twice more, each iteration lovingly improving upon the last. The complete text has been written. We have some great art in the works and can't wait to share this project with the world!
THE GAME - $15 (PDF) or $39 (HARDCOVER)
The Strange Bedfellows campaign and sourcebook in PDF
PDF copies of all unlocked stretch goals
Immediate access to an unedited review copy of Strange Bedfellows
(PRINT ONLY) Hardcover, full-color copy of Strange Bedfellows
*Shipping will be collected at the pledge manager stage. See the Delivery section below.*
THE TRIO - $40 (PDF) or $99 (HARDCOVER)
Age of Ambition core rulebook in PDF
The Strange Bedfellows campaign and sourcebook in PDF
The What Lies Beneath campaign and sourcebook in PDF
PDF copies of all unlocked stretch goals
Immediate access to an unedited review copy of Strange Bedfellows
(PRINT ONLY) Hardcover, full-color copy of the Age of Ambition core rulebook
(PRINT ONLY) Hardcover, full-color copy of Strange Bedfellows
(PRINT ONLY) Hardcover, full-color copy of What Lies Beneath
*Shipping will be collected at the pledge manager stage. See the Delivery section below.*
THE GAME LINE - $100 (PDF) or $199 (PRINT)
Age of Ambition core rulebook in PDF
The Strange Bedfellows campaign and sourcebook in PDF The What Lies Beneath campaign and sourcebook in PDF
PDF copies of the Bestiary, Expert Bestiary, Character Options, Campaign Options, Game Master's Toolkit and Heights of Power supplements
PDF copies of the Time Forgot, A Little Murder, Tainted Gold, Out of Shackles, Escape From Prison Isle, The Butcher's War, Will to Power, The Forslin Job, Melanoc Adventures and The Black Auction scenarios
PDF copies of the Quick-Start, Consequence Cards, GM Screen Inserts, Trystell Poster Map and Melanoc Poster Map accessories
PDF copies of all unlocked stretch goals
Immediate access to an unedited review copy of Strange Bedfellows
(PRINT ONLY) Hardcover, full-color copy of the Age of Ambition core rulebook
(PRINT ONLY) Hardcover, full-color copy of What Lies BeneathÂ
(PRINT ONLY) Softcover, full-color copies of the Bestiary, Expert Bestiary, Character Options, Campaign Options, Game Master's Toolkit and Heights of Power supplements
(PRINT ONLY) Softcover, full-color copies of the Time Forgot, A Little Murder, Tainted Gold, Out of Shackles, Escape From Prison Isle, The Butcher's War, Will to Power, The Forslin Job, Melanoc Adventures and The Black Auction scenarios
(PRINT ONLY) Printed copies of the Quick-Start, Consequence Cards, GM Screen Inserts, Trystell Poster Map and Melanoc Poster Map accessories
*Shipping will be collected at the pledge manager stage. See the Delivery section below.*
Delivery
Strange Bedfellows is written and ready for editing, then layout. All delivery estimates refer to the PDF copy. The physical book will ship a couple months later, giving us time to correct any typos that backers find before the final book goes to print.
Digital stretch goals will be fulfilled as they are completed, with any physical stretch goals being sent out as a single shipment once all are ready.
Digital Rewards
We will deliver all PDF materials through DriveThruRPG and via BackerKit digital download.
Physical Rewards
You will pay for shipping after the funding period using the BackerKit pledge manager. This helps ensure that we neither overcharge nor undercharge you.
We estimate shipping costs to be somewhere in the range of $5 to $10 for domestic (US) shipping (depending on pledge level and final weight) and somewhere in the range of $10 to $20 for most international backers.
We Ship to Most Countries
As a small game company we do our own fulfillment, which allows us a certain amount of flexibility. This does, unfortunately, lead to high international shipping costs at times.
The following add-ons are available for any backer of the project. All print add-ons also include the associated PDFs. Thanks as always for your support of our small business!
Age of Ambition game line
+$85 PDF or +$160 Print
Our latest RPG using the Saga Machine system, Age of Ambition is a fantasy game set in a world rapidly leaving the traditional fantasy milieu behind, where magical and technological advancements are challenging the long-standing social order, and where the heroes help guide the world into a brave new era of promise or peril. This add-on includes the Age of Ambition core rulebook, What Lies Beneath campaign, ten adventures, six supplements and four accessories. More information can be found on the Age of Ambition webpage.
Shadows Over Sol game line
+$90 PDF or +$200 Print
Our most popular RPG using the Saga Machine system, Shadows Over Sol is a game of science fiction and horror set in our own solar system some 200 years in the future. Players can take any number of roles, ranging from determined explorers or hardened military personnel, to corp troubleshooters or profit-driven “scrappers” that skirt the gray areas of the law. This add-on includes the Shadows Over Sol core rulebook, Siren's Call and Jovian Whispers expansions, sixteen adventures, five supplements and seven accessories. More information can be found on the Shadows Over Sol webpage.
Against the Dark Yogi game line
+$40 PDF or +$100 Print
Our first RPG using the Saga Machine system, Against the Dark Yogi is a game of high action in a world based on Indian myth. Play an epic hero fighting to save the subcontinent of Bhurloka. This add-on includes the core rulebook, two adventures, two supplements and five accessories. More information can be found on the Against the Dark Yogi webpage.
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Dime Adventures game line
+$50 PDF or +$120 Print
Our third RPG using the Saga Machine system, Dime Adventures presents a world of pulp action and alternate history. Fight dinosaurs! Discover strange new sciences! Wield ancient powers or champion the march of progress! This add-on includes the core rulebook, eight adventures, two supplements and four accessories. More information can be found on the Dime Adventures webpage.
