Dark Conspiracy
Dark Conspiracy is a near-future horror role-playing game (RPG) originally written by Lester W. Smith and published by Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) in 1991. Several newer editions have been published.
Setting
Dark Conspiracy is set in the United States of the early 21st century after a "Greater Depression" has destroyed the global economy and left many countries isolated and bankrupt.[1] Many American cities have expanded to form massive metroplexes, in some cases covering entire states. Outside of the metroplexes the majority of the country has become known as "Out-Law" where there is virtually no federal or state protection and the road network joining metroplexes is poorly maintained. Scattered throughout the Out-Law and even in the darker and more forbidding areas of the Metroplexes, zones known as "Demonground" are spawning mysterious "dark minions": monsters armed with deadly weapons.[1] Players typically assume the roles of "Minion Hunters", people who have stumbled across this "Dark Incursion" and have taken up arms against it.
Publication history
First edition
Game designer
The following year, a trilogy of Dark Conspiracy novels written by
The first edition was also well-supported in GDW's own gaming magazine Challenge, and occasionally in several other gaming publications such as Dragon and White Wolf. The UK magazine Role Player Independent also carried several articles about the first edition game.
The first edition uses the same skill-based rule system as
The rules also include an expansive illustrated list of equipment for use in the characters' fight, and pictures of many of the items, weapons and vehicles mentioned. Game designer Lester Smith explained, "Some people want lots; others want little... [P]eople that don’t want them can ignore them, but people who do want them will be glad they’re there. It doesn’t work the other way ‘round... As a role-player myself, I want to be able to see what something looks like, if my character is going to be carrying it. I hate picking something for its stats and having no idea of what it looks like."[3]
Second edition
The Dark Conspiracy product line was discontinued in 1993 due to the declining customer interest. When GDW went out of business in 1995, Dark Conspiracy Enterprises obtained the rights to Dark Conspiracy and later licensed the game to Dynasty Presentations who produced a second edition.
Third edition
Dark Conspiracy Enterprises licensed the game to The Gamers' Conglomerate to publish a third edition.[2]: 63 They did not produce the third edition as planned, so in 2010, the option for a third edition was granted to Kinstaff Media. Kinstaff created a division called 3 Hombres Games, which published the PDF of a third edition in 2012 that uses a new rules system with revised character generation and combat rules.
A supplement titled Conspiracy Rules and other material were under development when 3 Hombres Games went out of business.
Products
1st Edition
- Dark Conspiracy Core Rulebook
Game Tools
- PC Booster Kit
Sourcebooks and Scenarios
- Among the Dead (Scenario)
- Dark Races #1 Compendium (Sourcebook)
- DarkTek (Sourebook)
- Empathic Sourcebook (Sourcebook)
- Heart of Darkness (Scenario)
- Hellsgate (Scenario)
- Ice Daemon (Scenario)
- New Orleans (Scenario)
- Nightsider (Scenario)
- Proto-Dimensions Sourcebook #1 (Sourcebook)
Board game
- Minion Hunter[4] (Core Game)
- Minion Nation[5] (Expansion Set)
Novels
Michael A. Stackpole wrote three novels, the Fiddleback trilogy, set in the Dark Conspiracy universe that were published by GDW and released alongside the first edition of the game.
- A Gathering Evil
- Evil Ascending
- Evil Triumphant
2nd Edition
- Player's Handbook (Basic Edition)
- Player's Handbook (Master Edition)
- Referee's Guide (Basic Edition)
- Referee's Guide (Master Edition)
Game Tools
- Referee's Screen & Adventures (contained the adventures Ice Daemon and Nightsider converted to 2nd Edition rules).
Scenarios and Sourcebooks
- The Shadow Falls (Sin City, Vol 1)
- Of Gates and Gods (Sin City, Vol 2)
- Masks of Darkness (Sin City, Vol 3)
Third edition
- Conspiracy Rules - The main rulebook for Dark Conspiracy III. Currently in version 1.1 with any outstanding errata corrected.
- Empathic Guide - A free rules expansion detailing psionics rules and sanity. Largely derived from the original Empathic Sourcebook with new material by Lee Williams and Norm Fenlason, who also provided the interior illustrations.
- Conspiracy Rules Character Sheet - The official and expanded PDF form-fillable and auto-calculating version of the Conspiracy Rules character sheets. Designed by Norm Fenlason who also provided the cover design.
- Detour - A short adventure by Captain Obvious, art by David Lee Ingersoll.
- Acute Care - A short adventure written by Dave Schuey, art by David Lee Ingersoll.
- This Just In - A short adventure written and illustrated by Norm Fenlason. Originally conceived as the intro adventure for The Gamers Conglomerate's cancelled edition.
- Tampete - A fan-made city Sourcebook published in 2017.
Clockwork Publishing Proposed Material
- Core Rulebook
- Referee Screen with introductory scenario
- Equipment sourcebook
- Monsters sourcebook
- Scenario collection
- Empathic powers sourcebook
Reception
In the November 1991 edition of Dragon (Issue 175),
In a 1996 reader poll by Arcane magazine of readers to determine the 50 most popular roleplaying games of all time, Dark Conspiracy was ranked 43rd. Editor Paul Pettengale commented: "Players take on the roles of people who have learnt of the evil forces at work in the world, and are struggling to defeat them. The evil forces have infiltrated what remains of the government and powerful corporations. A great blend of cyberpunk, Call of Cthulhu and conspiracy paranoia."[6]
Reviews
- White Wolf #29 (Oct./Nov., 1991)
- Shadis #52 (Oct., 1998)
- Casus Belli #65[7]
References
- ^ TSR, Inc.: 80–82.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-907702-58-7.
- ^ Challenge Magazine. 1991.
- ^ "Minion Hunter". Boardgame Geek. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
- ^ "Minion Nation". Boardgame Geek. GDW. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
- ^ Pettengale, Paul (Christmas 1996). "Arcane Presents the Top 50 Roleplaying Games 1996". Arcane (14). Future Publishing: 25–35.
- ^ "Casus Belli #065". 1991.