Barbarians of Heavy Metal (BoHM) is a Table-Top Roleplaying game set in the post-apocalyptic 31st century where sonic technology and centuries of warfare have created the Metalsphere: a series of interstellar feudal empires based around the veneration of the Rocktagon: the Eight Great Schools of Rock.
Players take on the role of Metalheads, knights of the 31st century who roam the Metalsphere in pursuit of fame and glory. They are sonic warrior-wizards who possess rare and powerful Superstring Manipulators, sonic weaponry in the shape of musical instruments that can vibrate the underlying structure of the universe, bending it to the whim of the virtuoso musician.
The most elite Metalheads are granted the privilege of ‘Riding the Heavy Metal’: Titans! These giant robot combat vehicles tower over the battlefield and possess the power of an entire tank battalion. The nobility of headbanger society, those who possess these massive behemoths are, by definition, more metal than everyone else: the rock stars idolized by a society of rock stars.
What will set BoHM apart from other RPGs is that it will usher in a new paradigm in RPG publishing. While we will be doing a print and PDF version of the game, we are also going to be releasing it as a Digital Boxed Set. What, exactly, is that?
Back in the day, RPGs used to come in boxed sets that included everything you needed to play the game. D&D, Top secret, Star Frontiers, you name it, the typical RPG came with a book for the players that contained the basic rules, a GM guide with all the tools necessary to create adventures, a full starter adventure, dice, character sheets, and sometimes paper miniatures or even an entire wargame, as was the case for the Star Trek Deluxe Set. A few modern games embrace this ‘play it right out of the box’ mentality (including one the designer of BoHM has worked extensively on, Doctor Who: Adventures in Time & Space) but most rely on selling you an individual book (followed by a series of splatbooks) and then expect you to go around gathering up everything you need on your own.
BoHM is going back to that Boxed Set mentality, but we’re taking advantage of modern mobile technology to make that boxed set digital. The BoHM app will contain everything you need to play the game, from rules to character generators, to GM tools and even a map based wargaming function for playing out battles, all in one easy to use package.
While BoHM is striving to start a digital revolution in RPG publishing, we also love a good book. The feel of it, the smell of one being opened for the first time, and all the great art that serves to build the world and inspire us to play in it. As such, we are doing Print and PDF versions of the book as well.
As BoHM is really our love letter to the gaming and music of our youth, we are partnering with an industry legend from that period, Jeff Laubenstein, to bring the Metalphere of the 31st century to life. Jeff has defined the look and feel of many famous game worlds from the eighties, nineties, right up to the modern day, including Battletech, Shadowrun, Earthdawn and Magic: the Gathering.
We are extremely proud to have Jeff on board. You can find examples of his genre defining work here.
Barbarians of Heavy Metal: making RPGs MORE METAL!!!
