HARP Steampunk out now!

We are thrilled to announce that HARP Steampunk is out now and available exclusively from DrivethruRPG!

HARP Steampunk cover

HARP Steampunk is your definitive guide to steampunk gaming using the HARP rules.

It includes:

  • 12 professions designed for high steampunk adventure including Detective, Doctor, Engineer, Mystic, Pilot and Soldier
  • Clockwork automata, steam automata and creations
  • 4 class-based Backgrounds for your characters
  • A complete suite of relevant skills
  • A complete set of Talents
  • Equipment and Vehicles
  • Mystical powers
  • Detailed rules on combat, vehicles and equipment
  • A selection of Spirits, dinosaurs, Ice Age giants, and inhuman intelligences
  • Guidance for the GM on running steampunk campaigns


Using HARP Steampunk, you can dial your steampunk game upwards from historical melodrama in a broadly nineteenth century setting, through to Jules Verne, HG Wells and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle-inspired retro-sf voyages of exploration and discovery, and then beyond to an alternate world of epic steam technology and weird science.

HARP Steampunk is a genre sourcebook that works with HARP Fantasy AND HARP SF.

Get your copy now

Director’s Briefing – April 2026

Welcome

To the one hundred-and-seventy-seventh Briefing and fourth scheduled Briefing of 2026. It has been very refreshing to see humans venturing further than ever before into space. No discoveries of any midnight black monoliths on the dark side of the moon so far. Fingers crossed for a safe return of Artemis II.

Conventions

Dragonmeet opened for exhibitor bookings on March 16th, and I had ICE booked in within the first hour. The convention will be in ExCeL London again and the date for your diaries is Saturday 28th November 2026.

As a reminder, Aaron Smalley will be running an ICE booth at the 2026 “Cadillac Pop Culture Con” in Cadillac, Michigan, on 28th April. If you happen to be in the neighbourhood, please drop by.

Shadow World

The ERA for Shadow World RMC Jaiman Adventures and ERA for Shadow World RMSSFRP Jaiman Adventures were both released in March, giving you the relevant ERA data for multiple Jaiman modules (Aalk Vaalg, Tanara, Haalkitaine, Jaiman, Tales from the Green Gryphon Inn, and Xa-ar). The ERA RMU Shadow World dataset has also been released.

The Shadow World Rolemaster Unified Conversion Guide has been released as a free pdf. This adds new Talents, stat blocks for all of the playable Kulthean races, ten new additional cultures and revamped Seer and Astrologer professions, complete with full spell lists compliant with Rolemaster (RMU) Spell Law. This guide is available for Roll20 and has been integrated into Foundry modules.

Now that the conversion guide is out, volunteers are sought for producing RMU stat appendices for all of the existing Shadow World modules written by Terry Amthor and published by us. I already have a willing volunteer for Tales from the Green Gryphon Inn  – anyone up for Emer III, Cloudlords of Tanara, Haalkitaine, Jaiman, Eidolon, or Xa-ar? The plan with these appendices is that we will add them as an additional file into their respective DriveThru pdf products. For anyone who has only purchased a print version, we will make other arrangements.

HARP

I am awaiting the arrival of the proof copy for HARP Banecroft: The Mage’s Tale. It is expected in the next few days.

The biggest news is of course the launch of HARP Steampunk in pdf. This genre sourcebook is a supplement for HARP written by the genteel and scholarly Phil Masters. This book offers a complete set of twelve new steampunk professions and four backgrounds for characters, enriching these with new and existing skills and talents. Victorian era mysticism (such as Akashic Reading and the Astral Eye), clockwork constructs, steam-driven automata and created beings straight from Doctor Frankenstein’s laboratory add optional elements of supernatural and weird science to the game. GMs can pick and mix from these options according to their perspective on the genre. Equipment and vehicles are categorised as historical technologies, “marvellous steam” (where steam powered and mechanical inventions are bigger, better and/or more reliable than Victorian reality), and “electrical miracles” (electrical vehicles, antigravity devices, and other weird science), enabling the GM to decide what is in and what is out. HARP Steampunk allows you to dial your steampunk game upwards from historical melodrama in a broadly nineteenth century setting, through to Jules Verne, HG Wells and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle-inspired retro-sf voyages of exploration and discovery, or beyond to an alternate world of epic steam technology and weird science. HARP Steampunk is a fantastic sourcebook and you only need either HARP Fantasy or HARP SF.

RMU

A complete manuscript draft for RMU Arcane Companion has indeed arrived in the editorial inbox. It is a vast tome and is with Jonathan for the first editing pass.

Until next time

Please stay safe and keep gaming.

Best wishes,

Nicholas

Director, Iron Crown Enterprises Ltd

Director’s Briefing – March 2026

Welcome

To the one hundred-and-seventy-sixth Briefing and third scheduled Briefing of 2026. Consider this Briefing to be a “heads up” edition.

Conventions

Aaron Smalley will be running an ICE booth at the 2026 “Cadillac Pop Culture Con” in Cadillac, Michigan, on 28th April. If you happen to be in the neighbourhood, please drop by.

We are preparing a crack team of agents (Aaron, Monte and Brett) to undertake a reconnaissance mission of Origins this year – translation: they are attending as gamers, but with an eye to how we might get a proper ICE booth at Origins in the future and what that might look like logistically.

Software

I have agreement from both Bob and Brett now to produce Foundry and Roll20 equivalents of HARP and its various supplements.

Max has been working overtime on updates for ERA; many of you should have received emails indicating that various datasets have updates. Please download the updated files at your convenience.

Shadow World

Updates to existing datasets are not the only new addition to ERA. The ERA RMU Shadow World dataset is now poised for release (and will be a free product), and for RM2/Classic and RMSS/RMFRP, there will be Jaiman Adventures which provides the relevant ERA Rolemaster data for multiple modules set in Jaiman.

The RMU Shadow World conversion guide is almost ready for release as a free pdf. (We may be able to produce a very slim softcover print edition – that obviously cannot be a free item and it’s very borderline on the page count – so no promises on this.) As soon as the RMU conversion guide is released, I will be very happy to welcome volunteers for producing RMU stats appendices for the existing Shadow World modules written by Terry Amthor and published through us.

The Shadow World conversion guide has been integrated into the Foundry modules for Core Law and Spell Law as appropriate, and so you can expect an update to those modules to include the Shadow World material as a free bonus.

HARP

We will be sending HARP Banecroft: The Mage’s Tale into the printing crucible shortly.

There has been last-minute to-ing and fro’ing with HARP Steampunk, where we have been tracking down very subtle glitches in the layout master files. Almost complete with converting p.00 references to actual page references, and then we should be done.

I am also about to issue a writing contract for HARP Cyberspace Reloaded. This will be the classic setting upgraded to take into account over three decades of new ideas from science and science fiction, and using the HARP ruleset, specifically HARP SF as the base rule book.

RMU

Artwork contracts for RMU Character Companion are now being issued. We expect the game mechanics elements to be coded up for Roll20 and Foundry, more or less in parallel.

I am very hopeful that the complete manuscript for RMU Arcane Companion will be arriving in the editorial inbox in April.

Until next time

Please stay safe and keep gaming.

Best wishes,


Nicholas

Director, Iron Crown Enterprises Ltd

Director’s Briefing – October 2024

Welcome

To the one hundred-and-fifty-ninth Briefing and tenth scheduled Briefing of 2024.

Software – AutoHARP

David has been very busy with AutoHARP. Those who have signed up to receive emails will already know that a 3.01 update has been released for AutoHARP3 Fantasy, AutoHARP3 Martial Law, and AutoHARP3 Fantasy College of Magics. He has also created an AutoHARP3 Fantasy Architect, an AutoHARP3 SF, and an AutoHARP3 SF Xtreme. As we did with Fantasy, Martial Law and College of Magics, we will send out coupons for those who purchased the original analogous editions of AutoHARP datasets for a free update to AutoHARP3 editions. Please sign up to receive the DriveThru emails.

In addition to these datasets, David has also created an AutoHARP3 Sci Fi Architect edition and an AutoHARP3 Bestiary dataset. These will be released over the course of the next couple of weeks – for good and proper reason, DriveThru does not like publishers hogging the New Releases limelight on their home page by releasing multiple products on the same day.

Cyradon

I have completed my first pass through the whole of the Cyradon setting manuscript. In addition to tidying up a residuum of typos, I have made various minor changes to the rules mechanics where something was not quite right to my mind. I have made some additional prompting comments to Colin to make use of the newer supplements such as HARP Folkways, HARP Beyond the Veil and HARP Subterfuge. There are also comments indicating areas where RMU mechanics will need to be incorporated. In thinking my way through this and noting areas where we might have to consider further alterations to make things easier for the RMU edition, such as organisations where members are expected to have two professions, it similarly prompts me to note areas where we might utilise HARP rules to better support Shadow World. In this case, I see us having the ability to utilise HARP’s ability to enable characters to have multiple professions for representing characters who might move into esoteric organisations such as Navigators and Loremasters.

Rolemaster

Although Rolemaster Creature Law is not yet out, it is time to look to products beyond the core rulebooks. One of the things that I will be turning my attention to “Character Companion”, which already exists in a reasonably complete manuscript written by Jonathan Dale, intended as the first optional rules supplement for RMU. I will also be pushing for progress on the adventure modules that are dual RMU and HARP.

Until next time

More updates as always in future Briefings. Stay safe and keep gaming.

Best wishes, Nicholas

Director’s Briefing – June 2024

Welcome

To the one hundred-and-fifty-fifth Briefing and sixth scheduled Briefing of 2024. Unexpectedly late this month, so I will be brief.

Gen Con 2024

Do remember to contact Colin if you are intending on running Rolemaster or HARP (or Spacemaster or any other ICE games). We do want to publicise your games ahead of time, and if you are willing, we will publicise your after-action reports!

Rolemaster

Jonathan has been doing his bit to drive Nick M. crazy – I mean he has been having a spiral run of tracking down residual glitches in the master layout and having them purged by Nick. I am looking for residual glitches as well. Fingers crossed that we can find them all (and that they stay removed) so that we can order the print masters very soon.

Software – ERA

A whole bundle of updates have been made to ERA – and this is reflected in updates to the base software as well as many Rolemaster datasets and the Spacemaster: Privateers. As always, please download the new versions at your convenience – if you have set your DriveThru account to allow you to receive publisher emails from us, you will have had a series of update messages.

Software – AutoHARP3

AutoHARP3 Fantasy base package, and the Martial Law and College of Magics datasets were released last month. I know that the discount codes were received (because I could see purchase orders coming through even before the datasets were released.) If you did not set your DriveThru email preferences to receive email from ICE, please ask Colin very nicely for the codes.

HARP and HARP SF

Colin has been very busy commissioning the artwork for Banecroft: The Mage’s Tale and these will start arriving very shortly. Banecroft will have stats for HARP and RMU.

Joel Lovell has been showing off his layout skills and letting us what HARP SF The Poseidon Gambit currently looks like. This is an adventure module set in the Tintamar universe for HARP SF. Joel has also been creating the artwork and cartography for this, and there are some fierce life forms in the oceans of Poseidon.

Until next time

Please stay safe and keep gaming.

Best wishes, Nicholas

Director, Iron Crown Enterprises Ltd

Director’s Briefing – May 2024

Welcome

To the one hundred-and-fifty-fourth Briefing and fifth scheduled Briefing of 2024.

Gen Con 2024

I mentioned last time that all the tables at Dragonmeet 2024 had sold out within a week. The exhibit hall map for Gen Con 2024 has been released and that is on a whole different level of scale. Dragonmeet maps show specific tables, Gen Con show booths and sets of booths. ICE is on the map key and our booth number is #2904. It is an impressively long list of exhibitors.

As with Dragonmeet, contact Colin if you are intending on running Rolemaster or HARP (or Spacemaster or any other ICE games for that matter). We would really like to publicise your games.

Rolemaster

I will be undertaking my review pass of RMU Treasure Law with the intention of reaching a final print master. The intention isn’t to drive Nick crazy as I spiral inwards towards the perfect master but I am sure between software failing to save changes or uploading correctly, there will be at least one set of changes that Nick makes but don’t take as expected. Hence the process is one of requesting changes, changes being made, changes being checked, and so on until I cannot find any residual issues.

Software – ERA

As mentioned last time, we have switched to the zip format for ERA. The latest base version of the software has been uploaded and a new dataset for RMFRP Construct Companion has also been released.

Software – AutoHARP3

David Klecker is happy again with the new version of AutoHARP, known as AutoHARP3. The base package AutoHARP3 Fantasy is now available on DriveThru, and the Martial Law and College of Magic datasets will go live across the week as DriveThru prefers that publishers release one new product per day if possible. AutoHARP3 is being released as new products as it is substantially changed from earlier versions.

I have sent out emails via DriveThru already providing discount codes so that anyone who purchased AutoHARP Fantasy, AutoHARP Martial Law or AutoHARP College of Magics can use the code to upgrade for Free to the equivalent AutoHARP3 file. You can use these codes even before the product goes live.

If you did not set your DriveThru email preferences to receive email from ICE, please ask Colin very nicely for the codes.

HARP

I have completed my review pass of HARP Steampunk, written by the incomparable Phil Masters. (Yes, the Phil Masters who has written umpteen GURPS sourcebooks and supplements, as well as books and articles for other systems). This has been written as a supplement that can be used with either the HARP Fantasy or the HARP SF rulebook. The expectation is that most GMs would use HARP Steampunk for a steampunk setting, but there is nothing to stop GMs moving their fantasy world to the Age of Steam or incorporating more technologically backward worlds in a science-fiction universe.

HARP Steampunk uses the standard HARP character creation process but introduces a distinct set of professions for the Age of Steam and adjusts the skill set, moving some skills into different categories for a tighter fit to the milieu. Characters may be equipped with historical gear or with more over-the-top marvellous steam items and electrical marvels. Characters can call for a hansom cab in the style of Sherlock Holmes or perhaps cruise the seas in a submarine akin to Nemo’s Nautilus. Phil has created a set of subtle mystical powers in keeping with the steampunk setting, which is reinforced with a selection of spiritual adversaries. It is an excellent manuscript.

I have two areas that I wish to double-check, namely if there are any additional skills that could be added to the training packages, and whether some stat-based maneuvers might be better positioned as skill maneuvers. However, I can happily let Colin start commissioning artwork for it.

We will have much more to say about HARP Steampunk once we approach its release.

Until next time

Please stay safe and keep gaming.

Best wishes, Nicholas

Director, Iron Crown Enterprises Ltd

Director’s Briefing – April 2024

Welcome

To the one hundred-and-fifty-third Briefing and fourth scheduled Briefing of 2024.

Dragonmeet 2024

In the last briefing, I mentioned that I had placed our order for tables at Dragonmeet within ten minutes of the bookings opening. And an incredibly good thing I did so. Every single table at Dragonmeet was sold out within a week. Fastest ever. The organisers are now trying to see if they can find a bigger location for the 2025 show, which is likely to be no easier than it was last year or the year before.

To remind you, Dragonmeet 2024 will be at Novotel Hammersmith in London on Saturday 30th November. GMs wanted to run Rolemaster and HARP demo games.

Rolemaster

Nick has been implementing residual fixes to Treasure Law. An interim update of the pdf is likely. Please report any residual issues as we will soon need to proceed towards the print masters.

Nick has also circulated a new Creature Law layout draft version. It’s not yet ready for the formal series of iterative passes but that will come.

Software – ERA, Roll20 and AutoHARP

Every so often various antivirus software packages report false positive alerts on the ERA software. At least one of the reasons for this is that antivirus software is sensitive to software that is packaged as a self-extracting executable. From now on, ERA in its Windows version will be packaged as a .zip file – hence you will need to use the Windows built-in unzip facility or a third-party software to uncompress the file. We hope that this reassures the antivirus packages.

Our RMU incarnation for the Roll20 virtual tabletop continues to make progress.

AutoHARP was ready in February, I held off uploading it to ensure a correct listing, and then David had a “Columbo” moment of “just one last thing”. This “one last thing” morphed into sorting out a new HARP Bestiary dataset at the same time. As soon as David has reassured himself that everything is as he and his beta testers expect it to behave, then I will upload the new AutoHARP edition.

HARP

Not finished yet on HARP Steampunk, but still no need to nudge Phil Masters for him to make any corrections.

I will be doing a round of checking on how other authors are getting on with their respective adventure module drafts.

Until next time

Please stay safe and keep gaming.

Best wishes, Nicholas

Director, Iron Crown Enterprises Ltd

Director’s Briefing – March 2024

Welcome

To the one hundred-and-fifty-second Briefing and third scheduled Briefing of 2024. Later than I expected due to some unwanted problems in the real world, which have now been resolved.

Dragonmeet 2024

Yes, I know it is only March, but this is when the trade bookings open. There has been debate at the highest echelons of ICE as to what “table” arrangement we should bid for this year. We hope to secure two tables this year as we are finding a single table too small for all the products we now have. I had the order placed for two tables on the lower floor within ten minutes of the bookings opening. We also want to upgrade our table setup to create a bigger visual impact and run some demo games – volunteer GMs wanted!

Dragonmeet 2024 will be on Saturday 30th November and will be at the Novotel Hammersmith again.

Rolemaster

Treasure Law has now been happily available for some weeks. Thank you for everyone who has submitted residual typo catches. Please submit any additional issues you spot on the forums so that the print release can be as perfect as humanly possible, and that we can have it ready in good time for Gen Con. Last-minute panics have all of us biting our nails hoping against hope that the printer completes in time and the shipping goes without a hitch.

Software – ERA, Roll20 and AutoHARP

ERA RMU Treasure Law is also safely available on DriveThru. Again, if you find any issues, please report them on the forums so that Max can investigate and resolve them.

We are hoping to enjoy a runthrough of the current RMU-in-progress for the Roll20 virtual tabletop this month.

Although the new version of AutoHARP was ready last month, I held off uploading it onto DriveThru as there were some things that I needed to check to avoid any errors in configuring the listing. If you are an existing AutoHARP user, please do ensure that you have enabled receipt of emails from us through DriveThru.

HARP

I am enjoying my gentle editing pass on HARP Steampunk, and hope to be able to complete the pass without needing to nudge Phil Masters for any corrections. Looking very good so far.

Colin continues to commission the artwork and cartography for Banecroft: The Mage’s Tale, and progress is being made on producing the RMU stats for this adventure module.

Until next time

Please stay safe and keep gaming.

Best wishes, Nicholas

How to Incorporate PC Backstories into your adventures

A lot goes into creating a Player Character and rightly so. I know many people who have been playing the same character for years or decades. It’s not just stats and skills and talents etc, a really well-crafted PC has goals, dreams, a backstory and a raison d’etre. These elements form a treasure trove of adventure ideas and opportunities for immersive world-building.

In this blog, I thought I’d share a few ideas for seamlessly integrating the backstories and personalities of your player characters into the epic narrative you’re weaving.

1. Collaborate from the Start:

Encourage open communication from the beginning of your campaign. Invite players to share their character backstories and aspirations. Think about ways that the past could come back to bite them and think about where the gaps are. Probe these gaps during games to encourage deeper consideration of the character’s drivers and then exploit them.

2. Integrate Personal Quests:

Identify key elements in each character’s backstory that can evolve into personal quests. It doesn’t have to be saving the village or seeking revenge. It could be rediscovering lost heritage, finding forgiveness, or mastering a skill. Personal quests add depth to the narrative and provide characters with meaningful arcs.

3. Create NPCs from Backstories:

Bring characters from the pasts of your players into the present storyline. These could be friends, mentors, or rivals but also strangers who relate to their backstory. Maybe it is someone who went through the same experience but reacted differently, someone on the same quest as your player or someone who has been down this road and knows what lies ahead. These connections ground characters in the world and evoke emotional responses.

4. Invoke Character Strengths and Weaknesses:

People are defined by their strengths and weaknesses and the decisions they make when asked to confront each of them. Use this to your advantage. Introduce challenges that force characters to confront their weaknesses or place them in situations where their strengths might be misused. This adds layers to their stories and promotes character growth.

5. Tailor Villains to Personal Histories:

Design villains with connections to the characters’ pasts. Again, try not to be too on the nose with it. Perhaps it is an old enemy seeking revenge, but it could also be someone who has strikingly similar motivations to one of the characters. Personalized adversaries intensify the emotional stakes and offer an opportunity for players to grow.

6. Celebrate Character Milestones:

Acknowledge and celebrate character milestones related to their backstories. Whether it’s achieving a personal goal, overcoming a fear, or discovering a hidden truth, rewarding characters for their growth reinforces the importance of their individual narratives.

Remember, the heart of any great tabletop roleplaying game lies in the stories created by the players and the game master together. By seamlessly integrating player character backstories into your narrative, you transform a campaign into an unforgettable epic, shaped by the personal journeys of the characters at the table. May your adventures be as rich and diverse as the tales your players bring to life!

ERA for Rolemaster Treasure Law (RMU) out now!

Hot on the heels of the release of the PDF of Rolemaster Treasure Law (RMU), we’re thrilled to announce that you can now get the Treasure Law data set as an add on for the brilliant ERA for Rolemaster!

This feature package adds the herbs, random treasure tables, spell failures, professions and spells present in RMU Treasure Law. You will now have the option of creating random coins, weapons, armor and spell casting items. There are 72 tables in total to choose from, or you can just start from the Treasure Code and roll to get a complete result. If you need a player or non player character to create the items, you get all 3 alchemist professions (Adept, Psychographer and Sanctifier), with their 34 spell lists with complete spell descriptions.  To enrich their failures, 10 alchemical spell failure columns are included. You could trigger an earthquake when enchanting a location, or blow up your workshop when enchanting an item! And if you’d rather go for more natural resources, 149 herbs are at your disposal for foraging. Cure muscles with Curfalaka, resurrect with a dose of Vulcurax, or go on the offensive and destroy your enemy’s nervous system by applying Acaana.

Buy it now

This product is an add-on feature package for ERA for Rolemaster which is available for free from DrivethruRPG.

ERA (Electronic Roleplaying Assistant) is the ultimate companion for Rolemaster campaigns. Using ERA players can create their characters using a step by step wizard, then level them up and configure all details in stats, skills and special abilities, even overriding the automatic calculations. Afterwards, they can be added to a running campaign in the adventuring module. From there, the game master can control all aspects of the game: resolve maneuvers, resistances, resting, and of course, spell casting and combat.

With ERA, you can create Rolemaster characters and then manage their adventures. Players can also monitor their characters from their mobile devices as the action progresses. To create an interesting character, a good selection of race and profession is paramount. Rolemaster also provides background options to add more variety between characters.

Find out more about ERA for Rolemaster on our dedicated webpage.