''Castle Falkenstein'' is a
steampunk-themed
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
role-playing game (RPG) designed by
Mike Pondsmith
Michael Alyn Pondsmith is an American roleplaying, board, and video game designer. He is best known for founding the publisher R. Talsorian Games in 1982, where he developed a majority of the company's role-playing game lines. Pondsmith is the ...
and originally published by
R. Talsorian Games
R. Talsorian Games (RTG) is a publisher of role-playing game books and accessories. Originally based in Berkeley, California, but moved to Renton, Washington in 1997. Their titles include the ''Cyberpunk 2020'' series and anime-related titles su ...
in 1994. The game is named for a legendary
unbuilt castle in the
Bavarian Alps. Players play the roles of gallant adventurers who take on quests of intrigue and derring-do in the spirit of Victorian adventures such as ''
The Prisoner of Zenda
''The Prisoner of Zenda'' is an 1894 adventure novel by Anthony Hope, in which the King of Ruritania is drugged on the eve of his coronation and thus is unable to attend the ceremony. Political forces within the realm are such that, in orde ...
''.
Setting
The game is set on an alternate earth, in the
steampunk era of Victorian "New Europa" circa 1870. In addition to humans, New Europa is populated by creatures from fantasy such as dragons and faeries. Fictional characters such as
Van Helsing
A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. Depending on the type of van, it can be bigger or smaller than a pickup truck and SUV, and bigger than a common car. There is some varying in the scope of the word across ...
can also be encountered.
Original edition
The game was designed by Mike Pondsmith and published in 1994 by R. Talsorian Games as a 224-page softcover book. Cover art was by William Eaken and Mark Schumann.
System
The game does not use statistics or dice to define a character. Instead, players must choose a general template of a hero (Heroic, Tragic, Flawed, Innocent, Clever, or Fallen). The player then chooses an archetypal career from a long list including Anarchist, Diplomat, Dashing Hussar, Mad Scientist, and Steam Engineer. Each archetype comes with a set of possessions and a few "Strong Suits" (aptitudes) and Skills. The player then starts a character diary to record the details of adventures, beginning with the character’s background and present situation.
Players can also choose to play non-human characters such as dragons, faeries and dwarves, but reviewer Rick Swan noted that "they come with so much baggage, they're barely worth the effort."
Skill resolution is done with an ordinary deck of
playing cards
A playing card is a piece of specially prepared card stock, heavy paper, thin cardboard, plastic-coated paper, cotton-paper blend, or thin plastic that is marked with distinguishing motifs. Often the front (face) and back of each card has a f ...
rather than dice. At the start of the game, the referee deals everyone four cards, including himself. When a player wants to test a skill, the referee rates the difficulty of the task from 2 to 12. The referee can also play one or more of his cards adding the value of the card or cards to the difficulty rating. The player attempting the task must use his character's relevant skill level plus the value of any cards the player wishes to add. If the character's skill level plus the value of the player's cards equals or betters the task's difficulty level, the character succeeds.
Combat operates using the same system.
Spellcasters use a second deck of cards. When the spellcaster wishes to cast a spell, the player must draw cards from the deck, one card per two minutes of game time, until the sum of the cards equals or exceeds the power of the spell. Even then, success is not guaranteed, and a spell can backfire with disastrous consequences.
Other editions
In 2000,
Steve Jackson Games published ''GURPS Castle Falkenstein'' under license using the
GURPS
The ''Generic Universal RolePlaying System'', or ''GURPS'', is a tabletop role-playing game system designed to allow for play in any game setting. It was created by Steve Jackson Games and first published in 1986 at a time when most such systems ...
rule system.
In 2016, Fat Goblin Games signed a deal with
R. Talsorian Games
R. Talsorian Games (RTG) is a publisher of role-playing game books and accessories. Originally based in Berkeley, California, but moved to Renton, Washington in 1997. Their titles include the ''Cyberpunk 2020'' series and anime-related titles su ...
to produce new supplements for ''Castle Falkenstein'' using the original rules system. The first of these supplements, ''Curious Creatures'', appeared in 2016, and additional supplements were subsequently published.
Reception
In the December 1994 edition of ''
Pyramid
A pyramid (from el, πυραμίς ') is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge to a single step at the top, making the shape roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilat ...
'',
Scott Haring
Scott D. Haring is a game designer who has worked primarily on role-playing games.
Career
Scott Haring began working in the adventure gaming industry in 1982. Haring had a long career with Steve Jackson Games, having worked at the company five d ...
admired the tenor of the game, saying, "This is not a game of sullen anti-heroes, angst and moral dilemmas; this is a grand game of world-spanning plots, pure heroes and diabolical villains.
esigner MikePondsmith has done a great job of setting the stage for grand dramatic battles between good and evil without once letting it descend into melodrama or parody. This is a game that believes in itself and its premise 100%, but without drowning in pretentiousness or self-importance." Haring concluded, "Castle Falkenstein is a breath of fresh air in roleplaying, a game where real heroes matter and don’t have to apologize. The book is physically gorgeous, the game mechanics fit the tone of the game world like a glove, the writing is wonderful, and the game world is enchanting."
In the November–December 1994 edition of ''
Shadis
''Shadis'' is an independent gaming magazine that was published in 1990–1998 by Alderac Entertainment Group (AEG). It initially focused on role-playing games.
Publication history
Shadis was conceived and started by Jolly Blackburn as an indepe ...
'' (Issue 16), Ken Cox called this "what has to be one of the most exciting games in the industry." Cox complimented the presentation, commenting, "With its incredible artwork and layout the book fairly transports you into the realms of the world, while not taking away from the exchange of information." He concluded with a strong recommendation, saying, "A sure-fire system with a fantastic world of adventure: isn't that just what we all have been looking for?"
In the February 1995 edition of ''
Dragon'' (Issue 214),
Rick Swan
Rick Swan is a game designer and author who worked for TSR.
His work for TSR, mostly for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, appeared from 1989 to 1995.
Swan also wrote ''The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games'' (1990), published by St. Martin's Pr ...
was enthusiastic about the game, calling it "an alternative reality that’s one part fact, ten parts fun house... a crazy quilt of steam-age technology and social anarchy." He recommended the game, saying, "This is about as good as it gets."
In a 1996 reader poll conducted by ''Arcane'' magazine to determine the 50 most popular roleplaying games of all time, ''Castle Falkenstein'' was ranked 45th. Editor Paul Pettengale commented: "''Castle Falkenstein'' is one of those games that people tend to either love or hate. It has a unique atmosphere, combining alternate history, Celtic mythology, steampunk and a somewhat whimsical, fairy-tale feel. Likewise, the rulebook itself is quite different from many, being laid out as a novel, with important information pulled out in sidebars, and the rules coming later. This reflects the main thrust of the system, which is heavily geared towards roleplaying and storytelling over game mechanics and numbers, and drops dice in favour of a couple of packs of playing cards."
Awards
*''Best Roleplaying Rules of 1994''
Origins Award
The Origins Awards are American awards for outstanding work in the game industry. They are presented by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design at the Origins Game Fair on an annual basis for the previous year, so (for example) the 1979 a ...
, ''Castle Falkenstein'',
R. Talsorian Games
R. Talsorian Games (RTG) is a publisher of role-playing game books and accessories. Originally based in Berkeley, California, but moved to Renton, Washington in 1997. Their titles include the ''Cyberpunk 2020'' series and anime-related titles su ...
, ''
Mike Pondsmith
Michael Alyn Pondsmith is an American roleplaying, board, and video game designer. He is best known for founding the publisher R. Talsorian Games in 1982, where he developed a majority of the company's role-playing game lines. Pondsmith is the ...
''
*''Best Role-Playing Product of 1995''
Nigel D. Findley Memorial Award, ''Castle Falkenstein''
Reviews
*''
White Wolf Inphobia'' #51 (Jan., 1995)
*''Dragão Brasil'' #3 (1994) (Portuguese)
*''Rollespilsmagasinet Fønix'' (Danish) (Issue 7 - March/April 1995)
References
External links
''Castle Falkenstein''at the R. Talsorian Blog
''Castle Falkenstein''at the Fat Goblin Games website.
NEW official web site (now offline; link points to archive.org copy)
''Castle Falkenstein''OLD official web site (now offline; link points to archive.org copy)
{{Authority control
Fantasy role-playing games
Mike Pondsmith games
Origins Award winners
R. Talsorian Games games
Role-playing games introduced in 1994
Steampunk role-playing games
Steve Jackson Games games
Role-playing game systems
Science fantasy role-playing games