Esoteric Enterprises by award winning writer Emmy Allen, published by Soul Muppet Publications
Imagine the typical adventuring party of most old-school games, but in a modern-day setting. A world with police, the internet, chain stores... The familiar band of mercenaries, occultists, criminals, weirdos and outcasts drift into the underworld. This is the premise of Esoteric Enterprises: the occult exists in a dangerous black market, where organised criminals traffic in magical grimoires and relics alongside narcotics and weapons. Hidden from the public eye, various gangs, cults and covens struggle for influence and resources in the dark tunnels beneath every city. Beneath that, stranger things lurk; inhuman creatures turn their cold gaze on the mortals who intrude on their subterranean realm.
The book contains both player-facing rules and extensive GM tools.
On the player side, there are eight classes, covering various career criminals, mad doctors, occultists and mystic cultists, as well as a customisable ‘Spook’ class for non-human PCs.
The game rules will be familiar to fans of old-school roleplaying, providing a spin on traditional mechanics fitting for the modern setting. Combat is brutal, fast and can result in serious injury. The GM’s section is designed to assist running a campaign straight out of the book. Included are guidelines to create an extensive undercity megadungeon and the complex network of factions within. The book is dense with sample content and random tables to generate your own setting.
The book is an A4 248 page hardback. Emmy Allen is responsible for Ennie Award winning The Garden's of Ynn, as well as the Stygian Library and Wolf-Packs and Winter Snow.
