Buffy the Vampire Slayer Roleplaying Game is a series of complementary books for role-playing game (RPG) based on Buffy the Vampire Slayer series. These titles were published by Eden Studios since 2002, along the Angel Roleplaying Game.
As of October 22, 2006, the license was not renewed, ceasing the publications.
Premise[]
Eden Studios introduces you to a roleplaying game (RPG) based on the world and the characters of the hit television series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
A Buffy roleplaying game has got to be a game that's all slay and all play, cinematic roleplaying at its best without a lot of number crunching. Remember cowboys and Indians? This is "butt-kickers and vamps," with just enough dice to give everyone something to do with their hands.
Taking material at will from a series of game books (kind of like a Las Vegas buffet), players help tell a fully interactive story guided by a Director, who works very hard to give them all something to reduce to a pile of dust. The Director sets up a story treatment, casts the bad guys and innocent victims, and keeps everything pointed roughly plotward — the players take the roles of characters from the show, or Slayers and Scoobies from their own imagination.
With the Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG, you can play one night stands against demons, or go the whole semester with Buffy, Willow, Xander and the rest in a series of interconnected adventures.[1]
Publications[]
Main books[]
The series includes six titles:
| Cover | Title | Release |
|---|---|---|
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Core Rulebook | August 15, 2002 |
Have you ever watched the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV show and tried to imagine yourself in one of the roles? Maybe you thought to yourself "I wouldn't go up there," "I don't think they are telling the whole story," or "I'll bet someone's hiding in that alley." What if you could take part in a Buffyverse storyline, and do things the way you want? You might decide to cast yourself as Buffy or one of the Scooby Gang. Or maybe you would like to create your own Slayer or Scooby and take the fight to the forces of evil. Or what if what you really wanted was to direct, call the creative shots, plot the plots, and liberally mix the action, adventure, wit and maybe even romance? What if you could do all that… and more?
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Director's Screen | November 2002 |
Do you have a plan? If you're a Director and your Buffy the Vampire Slayer roleplayers are looking to you for adventure, you'd better! You don't want things to get ugly, do ya? No worries though, we've got your plan right here, all wrapped up in one killer package. Yep, everything you Director types need to run a high intensity, large-living and sweet Buffy the Vampire Slayer roleplaying game session (or sessions-hey, there's a whole lotta stuff packed in this bodacious bundle).
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Slayer's Handbook | November 2002 |
Just found out you're the Slayer, and feeling a bit overwhelmed? Never fear, it's all right here in Technicolor goodness: the dos, the dont's, the whys, the wherefores, even a few what's what. There's also some notes from the Slayers' diaries, just in case you don't hail from Sunnydale. Study up-it's your neck on the line (literally)!
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The Magic Box | March 2003 |
Okay, so you're not the one and only Slayer… whatever. With ancient and powerful magicks on your side, you don't need to be able to bench press a car to fight evil with the best of them. Whether you're a witch, a warlock, a dabbler in the dark arts, a psychic or even a superscientist, you have powers granted to few mortals. 'Course, there's a potential downside… but bad stuff never happens to the good guys. Right? Here you'll find all the info you need to master your powers and learn how to introduce the monsters to a world of magical hurt. Oh, and there's also some talk of the dark side… just in case…
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Monster Smackdown | March 2003 |
Birds gotta fly, fish gotta swim, and a Slayer's gotta have something to slay. Fortunately for her, there's no shortage of vamps, demons, nasties, and Big Bads wandering around out there. And when the latté hits the fan, knowing an Acathla from a Gorch can save the world. The keys to combating these charmless creatures of nightmare are all here, in vivid detail. Hey, nobody said living on the Hellmouth was going to be all sunshine and stylish garb.
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Character Journal | 2004 |
| Torn-out pages, three-hole punches, worn spots from too much erasing, cramped margin scrawl. That's all so… last season. Get with the program and make your evil-eradicating existence that much easier with the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Character Journal. Beautify your stuff, keep everything nicely organized, and watch the Queen of Mean go green with jealousy. Record your character stats, skills, maneuvers, Qualities, Drawbacks, description, history, magic, items, contacts, friends, bragging rights, memorable quotes and much more in this must-have gaming accessory. | ||
Featured[]
Three titles of Eden Studios Presents featured content for the series:
| Cover | Title | Release |
|---|---|---|
|
Eden Studios Presents, Volume 1 | January 2005 |
Volume 1 of the ESP series features:
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Eden Studios Presents, Volume 2 | December 2005 |
This issue focuses on the dead and loving them. Vampires, vampyres, zombies, and apes forgotten by time can be found between these covers! If you love the dead, this issue is all for you. Volume 2 of the ESP supplement series features:
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Eden Studios Presents, Volume 3 | February 2009 |
Three time's a charm – or it's a kind of magic! Welcome to volume three of Eden Studios Presents. Of course, we’d know you'd be here. We've got a great line up for you with plenty of magical ideas for you to use. Volume 3 of the ESP supplement series features:
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Unpublished[]
Soon before the series were cancelled, three titles had been produced and announced, but never published:
| Cover | Title |
|---|---|
|
Military Monster Squad |
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|
Welcome to Sunnydale |
| By day, a beautiful California town. By night, the locale of the mouth of hell. On second thought, even by day it can get pretty scary. This complete guide to Slayer-ville contains everything you need to bring the town to life (or at least a demon-possessed semblance). Party at the Bronze. Patrol Restfield Cemetery. Attend Sunnydale High or the local University. Above all, be prepared to protect the ‘Dale from hard-core horrors looking for a bit of Hellmouth happy hour. | |
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Tea & Crossbow |
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Proposed[]
Additionally, two other books were "proposed, but license was pulled before any more could be done with it":[2]
- The Cleveland Sourcebook
- A Bizarro World Sourcebook
Behind the scenes[]
- The Buffy RPG contributed to Buffyverse canon in that Faith Lehane and Kendra Young's last names were provided by Joss Whedon in response to a query from Eden Studios.[3] Faith's name was since then used widely throughout fiction based upon the series, notably in Angel & Faith.
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer Roleplaying Game was final nominee in the 2002 Origins Award as Best Graphic Design of a Book Format Product, Best Roleplaying Game, and Game of the Year.[4]
References[]
- ↑ "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Eden Studios. Retrieved on May 22, 2018.
- ↑ "orphaned products?" Eden Studios Discussion Boards Forums. Archived from the original April 9, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
- ↑ joss, "Faith's Surname." Whedonesque, January 1, 2005.
- ↑ "Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG Corebook." Eden Studios. Retrieved on May 22, 2018.